It was the intention of Congress. as clearly shown in the debates. to refuse to reenact that act. The hearings. the hearing record. and the debate show that fact. But the debate also shows that it was not the intention of Congress to encroach in any way upon existing law and the general Immigration Act that has been applicable for over 30 years in this field which has permitted the importation of agricutural labor under proper showing from all the areas which I have mentioned. and particularly in my part of the country from the offshore areas of the Bahamas. Jamaica. Trinidad. Barbados. and the other lesser islands in the Caribbean. It clearly shows that the contention of the advocates of the various organized labor groups to the effect that Congress intended to eliminate the general agriculture permission given under the immigration laws which had been in effect for 30 years or more was not true and that to the contrary. Congress intended to preserve that act and to preserve the capacity to continue to operate under that act. I should like. in order to point up the record on this question. to quote from the testimony of only one of the witnesses produced by organized labor groups showing the contention. which is not true. that the intent of Congress was to eliminate the provisions in this field of the general Immigration Act. I quote from the statement of Mr. Arnold Mayer. legislative representative of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America.
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Immigration immigration