A New Deal

Albert Johnson of Washington has been a newspaper man most of his life. He has been an editor in New Haven, Washington, St. Louis, Tacoma and Seattle. He is now publisher of the Daily Washingtonian of Hoquiam, Wash. It happens that he is also a Congressman and, as such, Chairman of the House Immigration Committee. It is, perhaps, because of his newspaper training that advance information was given out about the new immigration bill which he and Secretary of Labor Davis are preparing for the next Congress.

The prospective bill is rather a modification of the present immigration law than an attempt at a new law.

The existing law permits annual immigration from any country equivalent to 3% of that nationality residing in the U. S. according to the 1910 census, the provision being added that no more than 20% of any nation's quota may immigrate in any one month.

The provisions of the proposed law:

1) Annual immigration quotas of 2% of the aliens of each nationality residing in the U. S. according to the census of 1890.

2) An additional annual quota of the same number, to be applied only to relatives of persons resident in the U. S.

3) A quota certificate to each immigrant, to be issued by consular officials abroad, after the immigrant has answered an official questionnaire. The quota certificates are to be good for six months, so that if an immigrant arrives in the U. S. at any time within that period he cannot be denied admission as being in excess of the quota allowance.

4) Health officers and immigration inspectors on vessels to make necesary sary examinations en route and save congestion in American immigration stations.

5) Special passports to be given to aliens who wish to go abroad after having taken out first citizenship papers.

The significance:

The basing of quotas on the census of 1890 instead of on the census of 1910 will enlarge relatively the quotas from northern Europe, as compared to southern, because immigration from the latter region has taken place mostly since 1890.

The increase of the gross quota from 3% to 4% is compensated for by the fact that under the census of 1890 the figure on which each quota will be based is less than the same figure under the 1910 census.

The setting aside of half of the allowed immigration for relatives of persons already here will favor those families who wish to make America their permanent home and decrease the hardship to those immigrants who under the present law find it difficult to have their families join them in the U.S.

The issuance of quota certificates not only will prevent anyone from being turned back as in excess of quota but also will stop the immigrant rush at the beginning of each month by allowing the immigrant to reach here any time within six months after securing a certificate.

Special passports for holders of first citizenship papers will enable them to travel under protection of the U. S. Government. At present, such persons are under the protection neither of their former countries nor of the U.S.