As a matter of fact. nothing of that sort was done. The countries not under a quota system. excepting only Mexico and Canada. take away more people from the United States each year than they send to us. and that is true of South America and of the West Indies and of Central America. outside of Mexico. Last year we took in a total of 59.785 Mexicans. and there were departures of some 5.000. a net increase of 54.000 Mexicans. I should like to see a quota put on that immigration which would cut it down to a very small percentage of that figure. But. Mr. President. to finish as quickly as I may this matter of the necessity for immigration restriction. the whole country called for a numerical restriction of immigration. For years we have had an attempted system of selection. but. dealing with the great mass of individuals that the immigration inspectors had to deal with. it was a physical impossibility to know whether those people would or would not make desirable citizens when they got here. and from the economic standpoint numerical restriction was imperative. The act of 1924. in my judgment. has deservedly been called Americas second Declaration of Independence.
Keywords matched
quota system immigration