Speech #740127402

At the close of that conference Mr. McGrady advised us that in the future. before the Labor Department had any measures affecting labor introduced in Congress. it would confer with representatives of the American Federation of Labor. He specifically said that immigration would be included. -As a result of that agreement or understanding with Mr. McGrady. the executive council reported to the convention of the American Federation of Labor in 1934. which began in San Francisco on October 1. in part as follows [reading]: "Bills were introduced into Congress providing for amendments and changes in certain sections of existing immigration laws. A limited number of these bills were reported to the House for action. but failed to pass. As a result. no important change was made in prevailing immigration statutes during the last session. "In 1931 the State Department Issued instructions to United States consuls not to grant a visa to any immigrant who it seemed probable would become a public charge. As a result of these instructions. the number of immigrants who could be admitted to the United States was reduced from 153.000 to 12.000. Representative DIES introduced a bill which was designed to embody the principle contained in these State Department instructions into a Federal statute. This bill provided that the immigration quotas for all countries be reduced 90 percent. The American Federation of Labor supported this measure. " We are still grappling with the problem of Mexican immigration. In order to supply a remedy for undue and unnecessary Mexican immigration a bill was introduced by Representative SCHULTE to place the Republic of Mexico under the quota provisions of the immigration law. This bill provided that the total number of persons born in the Republic of Mexico admitted as quota immigrants shall not exceed 1.500. and that only persons born in such area and who are eligible to citizenship shall be admitted. This bill failed of passage. It was unfavorably acted upon by the Immigration Committee. "The Department of Labor prepared and introduced under its sponsorship and recommendation a number of bills providing for amendments to the deportation sections of the immigration statutes. It was explained by the representative of the Department of Labor that these measures were designed to remedy defects discovered as a result of experience gained through application of the deportation sections.. It was further stated that there was no intention on the part of the Department of Labor to weaken the restrictive features of immigration statutes. but instead to strengthen them. humanize them and make them more practicable and successful In operation. "Because of the importance of these legislative proposals. sponsored by the Department of Labor. the officers of the American Federation of Labor insisted upon a more careful study and analysis of the measures proposed. It was deemed advisable to withhold approval .of these measures until the executive council was accorded the opportunity to study them. analyze them. and confer with the representatives of the Labor Department regarding their provisions. It has ever been -the purpose and policy of the American Federation of Labor to support and safeguard restrictive immigration legislation. We cannot approve measures which would weaken even to the slightest degree the restrictive features of immigration legislation for which the organized labor movement fought during a long period of years. -For this :reason. we could not. under the circumstances. support or endorse the amendments. to the immigration statutes drafted and proposed by the representatives of the Labor Department. However. it is intended that at the earliest opportunity a conference will be held between the representatives -of the Labor Department and the executive council of the American Federation of Labor for the purpose of giving special consideration to the amendments to the immigration statutes proposed by the Department of Labor as referred to herein. The future course of the American Federation of Labor relative to the Labor Departments proposed amendments to the immigration laws will be determined after a conference is held between representatives of the Department of Labor and the executive council." � That report was referred to the committee on the executive councils report and approved. I understand that Mr. MacCormack met thereafter with Mr.