President. the Senator from Iowa has raised a point which is basic and fundamental to the legislation the Senate is considering this afternoon whether we will have a figure of 170.000 numbers for the world. and whether it will be 120.000 numbers for the Western Hemisphere. all exclusive of immediate relatives as deferred in the bill. These are figures arrived at in a way that should be reviewed. and I shall review it very briefly. At the time of legislative consideration prior to the passage of the 1924 Immigration Act. the figure of 150.000 was established. It was based on an annual total number of immigrants equal to onesixth of 1 percent of the population of the United States in 1920. Quotas were then assigned on the basis of the nationality of the U.S. white population at that time. The figure of 150.000 was gradually raised as new independent countries were recognized by the United States. until it reached 158.561. which is the figure today. The figure of 170.000 represents these 158.561 numbers plus the inclusion of 10.200 numbers set aside for refugees. which would make a total of 168.761. That figure was rounded off at 170.000. For the Western Hemisphere countries. the figure of 120.000. exclusive of immediate relatives. was reached on the basis of experience during the past 5 to 10 years.
Keywords matched
Immigration immigrants refugees