I had the honor of introducing the nationalorigins amendment. and in my exuberance of hope I thought that two years would be enough to make the calculation. and in the amendment as introduced I allowed only two years to make the calculation of the quotas under national origins. It was suggested very wisely by the Senator from Mississippi that the time be extended to three years. and that the date be made 1927. so as to give them another year to do the calculating. In practice we found that it took five years. because it is not a matter of basing it merely on the 1790 census. as so many people think. but it has required a study of county histories. of county records. of statistics of emigration. which fortunately are preserved in many of the countries of Europe. particularly in continental Europe. where there are careful records of emigration and destination of emigration going back for a couple of centuries. 7 All that had to be consulted. and the quota board. made up of the best scientists we have in the Bureau of the Census. the Department of Commerce. and the State Department. have worked steadily for five years. and that was the real reason for the postponements of 1927 and 1928. It was only this year when the chairman of the quota board. the Assistant Director of the Census. Doctor Hill. came before us and said. " Our work is finished.
Keywords matched
emigration