In the face of "grave doubts as to the value of these computations as a basis for the purposes intended." Congress will make a grave mistake in spending any more time considering the nationalorigins plan. The entire clause should be repealed forthwith. The attitude of the Senator from California . chairman of the Senate Committee on Immigration. was clearly set forth on February 1. 1927. when he presented a resolution (S. J. Res. 152) asking for postponement for one year of that clause of the immigration act providing for the determination of immigration quotas based upon the nationalorigins clause. He said: I desire to say that under the present immigration law the President Is required to promulgate a proclamation on the 1st day of April. 1927. in respect of the nationalorigins provision of the law. Upon this subject two messages have been received by the Senate. The last of those messages states that the figures relied upon for the quota numbers of various countries are ambiguous and that practical legislation could not he predicated upon them. I violate no confidence I think in saying to the Senator from Missouri that the majority of the Immigration Committee desired to repeal the national origins law. but. there being a minority in favor of it and our time being so limited. we felt that we could not at this time have definite action. This resolution passed the Senate. The attitude of the House Committee on Immigration on the same resolution is expressed in the committee report. from which I quote: The committee having considered the text of Senate Joint Resolution 152. to postpone for one year the going into effect of the nationalorigins provision of the imnigration act of 1924. Is of the opinion that tit the end of one year from July 1. 1927. the same uncertainty as to tile results of regulating immigration by means of the nationalorigins plan will continue to exist. That the Secretaries of State. Commerce. and Labor will have little. if any more. positive evidence on which to base quota findings than at present. That too much uncertainty exists as to the requirements of the law that " the President shall issue a proclamation on or before April 1. 1927." when read In conjunction with further provisions of the law. That the uncerlainty will continue from year to year. That it seems far better to have Immigration quotas for the purposes of restriction fixed in such a manner as to be easily explained and easily understood by all. That the committee is of the opinion that the United States having started on a policy of numerical restriction. the principle of which is well understood. little will be gained by changing the method. There is no ambigsity in those words. The House Committee on Immigration favored the permanent repeal of the nationalorigins clause. Why dally with it any longer? Let us repeal it and avoid the uncertainty that continues from year to year! On February 27. 1928. the President. in response to Senate Resolution 152. submitted a communication of the Secretary of State. the Secretary of Commerce. and the Secretary of Labor. dated February 25. 1928. relative to the nationalorigins system of determining the immigration quotas. This is the most recent communication signed by them. They make no recommendations regarding this muchdiscussed problemn.
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