Speech #700111023

There appears to be a denand from labor that the Mexican labor brought into the United States in great quantities tends to interfere with labor conditions in the United States along certain lines. The question is also raised as to this class of labor. the Mexican laborer is much more economical in his habits and lives on much less than the American labor family has been taught to use in their living conditions. It should be the purpose of the Committee on Immigration to prevent any unjust competition with American labor. and there should be a proper quota law concerning labor brought in from Mexico. It should not be so drastic as to interfere with our neutrality laws. but should be on a proper basis to protect our American labor. Americ:iu labor has been taught certain living conditions. and a sufficient wage should be paid so that such living condition can be carried out. It is claimed. and truthfully. that Mexican labor from the Republic of Mexico is taking the place of our own citizens upon the farm. upon railroads. in repair and construction work. in general upkeep labor. and upon the highway work. Mexican living conditions are much different from American labor. Thus the price of labor in the locality where the Mexican immigrants locate in numbers is brought down to a lower scale. There should be restriction upon Mexican immigration. and especially as it applies to the bringing in of great numbers of laborers. Unless such a quota restriction is established. the time is near at hand. in my opinion. when this class of labor will be in direct competition with our own citizens. it wil bring to American labor a living condition which is not tolerable. This problem must be approached from an intelligent viewpoint. The annual quotas allotted from other countries under the immigration law of 1924 amounts to 164.667 persons. Yet the immigration into the United States per year is more than onehalf million. This is explained by the Department of Labor by the fact that during the last fiscal year. 1927. 95.704 nonimmigrantwhich term includes govermnent officials. temporary visitors. aliens in transit. and so onand 284.227 nonquota immigrants were also admitted during the year. Thesd nonquota immigrants included 10.084 wives and 8.421 childrenof United States citizens. 95.91.0 alien residents of the United States returning from a visit abroad. 4.514 veterans of the World War who were admitted under special legislation. 1.833 students. and a smaller number of ministers of religious denominations and professors. and so forth. The largest number of immigrants admitted under a nonquota status were natives of Canada. Newfoundland. Mexico.