Speech #820165580

I should like to establish the motive and purpose of the amendment of the Senator from Illinois. The original bill. which was jointly prepared by the Senator from West Virginia and myself. went even further than does the pending bill. However. we found. after many conferences with immigration offi ials and with others interested. that as a practical matter such drastic regulations could not be applied under present circumstances without an injustice being done to farmers who. in harvesting their crops. desired to employ wetbacks. I therefore have to oppose this amendment. but I believe that in the omnibus immigration bill. which is designed to attack the general overall problem of aliens. including wetbacks. which is now on the Senate calendar. an amendment might be adopted similar in language to that proposed by the Senator from Illinois. But here we have an altogether different problem. Time is of the essence. and all the information we received was to the effect that this bill is about as strong a measure as we can pass and still solve the problem of the farmer. involving the labor he needs to harvest his crop. and at the same time protect immigration into this country. The immigration officials have wholeheartedly agreed to the language of the bill now before the Senate.