Whenever you will find a son or a daughter willing. yes. anxious. to provide for his or her aged parents. you will find that he or she possesses the attributes that stand for the highest citizenship. Oh. I wish that the same could be said of the professional restrictionists who can be found lobbying around the corridors of the Capitol when immigration matters are being considered. and for whom the gentlemen from Florida . Ohio . and Texas speak. Some of these gentlemen in their prejudices have endeavored to insinuate and charge that the present crisis l due to the immigration. notwithstanding the fact that within the last 18 years immigration was stringently restricted and only slightly exceeded the emigration. I regret that I have not the statistics before me which I could submit to this House showing the actual figures on immigration and emigration since the beginning of the World War. And I wish that I could have the time necessary to compile statistics showing the amount of employment and the scale of wages during the years when immigration was at its height and the scale of wages and the amount of unemployment after the cessation of immigration. If that were possible. I am confident that the figures would clearlydemonstrate that immigration has been helpful and beneficial. that it has helped to increase production on the one hand. and. on the other hand. tremendously increased the consumption. and thereby has increased and stimulated the business of the Nation. It has often been stated that our surplus or export amounts to only 5 per cent. or possibly 6 per cent. of the production and the consumption in the United States. If the population in the last 18 years had increased by 5 per cent or 6 per cent. we would not be dependent upon the export or surplus. and could easily absorb it right in our own country.
Keywords matched
immigration emigration