QUOTA PREFERENCES FOR CERTAIN IMMIGRANTS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION,

Tuesday, January 21, 1930.

The committee this day met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Albert Johnson (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee meets this morning as per previous order to consider H. R. 7258, by Mr. Free, copy of which will be handed to each member of the committee and to the stenographer.

The Free bill is a rewrite of the bill that was No. 16926 and considered by this committee in the last Congress and reported to the House with Report No. 2400.

The text of the Free bill is as follows:

[H. R. 7258, Seventy-first Congress, second session]

December 11, 1929

A BILL Granting preference within the quota to certain aliens trained and skilled in a particular art, craft, technique, business, or science

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of section 6 of the immigration act of 1924, as amended by the joint resolution entitled "Joint resolution relating to the immigration of certain relatives of United States citizens and of aliens lawfully admitted to the United States," approved May 29, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes at Large, page 1009), is amended to read as follows: (1) Fifty per centum of the quota of each nationality for such year shall be made available in such year for the issuance of immigration visas to the following classes of immigrants, without priority of preference as between such classes: (A) Quota immigrants who are the fathers or the mothers, or the husbands by marriage occurring after May 31, 1928, of citizens of the United States who are twenty-one years of age or over; (B) quota immigrants who, being trained and skilled in a particular art, craft, technique, business, or science, are needed by bona fide employers to engage in work to perform which persons so trained and skilled can not be found unemployed in the United States, and the wives, and the dependent children under the age of twenty-one years, of such immigrants, if accompanying or following to join them; and [(B)] (C) in the case of any nationality the quota for which is three hundred or more, quota immigrants who are skilled in agriculture, and the wives, and the dependent children under the age of [eighteen] twenty-one years, of such immigrants skilled in agriculture, if accompanying or following to join them. Preference under clause (B) of this paragraph shall not be given to any alien claiming to be so trained and skilled unless the Secretary of Labor, upon the application of any person interested and after full hearing and investigation of the facts in the case, determines that a bona fide employer needs persons so trained and skilled and that such persons can not be found unemployed in the United States. The determination of the Secretary of Labor shall be transmitted to the consular officer through the Secretary of State. Such determination of the Secretary of Labor shall also be considered for the purposes of the fourth proviso of section 3 of the immigration act of 1917, as his determination of the necessity for importing such skilled labor.

(2) The remainder of the quota of each nationality for such year, plus any portion of the 50 per centum referred to in paragraph (1) not required in such year for the issuance of immigration visas to the classes specified in such paragraph, shall be made available in such year for the issuance of immigration visas to quota immigrants of such nationality who are the unmarried children under 33

twenty-one years of age, or the wives, of alien residents of the United States who were lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence.

(3) Any portion of the quota of each nationality for such year not required for the issuance of immigration visas to the classes specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be made available in such year for the issuance of immigration visas to other quota immigrants of such nationality.

(b) The preference provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) shall, in the case of quota immigrants of any nationality, be given in the calendar month in which the right to preference is established, if the number of immigration visas which may be issued in such month to quota immigrants of such nationality has not already been issued; otherwise, in the next calendar month.

Mr. FREE. The matter in the above bill printed in black brackets represents the old matter to be eliminated from such section and the matter printed in italics represents the new matter to be inserted in such section.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Snyder is here this morning. Let me ask you this: Is there anybody in the Department of Labor that can make a graph that we could hang on the wall to show that certain paragraphs in the immigration act of 1924 lead to other paragraphs, by such as A, B, and C?

Mr. SNYDER. What do you mean by "lead"?

The CHAIRMAN. In the fourth proviso we are referring to a certain subsection, such as 12 A or 12 B. What I have in mind is a diagram that could be placed on the wall showing these changes in detail.

Mr. SNYDER. In the Immigration Laws and Regulations there are lists of cases that fall within certain provisions of law, that might be useful.

Mr. FREE. Before calling Mr. Husband as the witness of the morning, I should like to read just two letters. They are as follows:

THE E. HACKNER CO., DESIGNERS, MANUFACTURERS, AND IMPORTERS OF ARTISTIC ECCLESIASTICAL FURNISHINGS, MARBLE, AND WOOD, LA CROSSE, WIS.

Hon. A. M. FREE,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

HONORABLE AND DEAR SIR: Your letter of January 16 has been received and we certainly find the bill you are introducing very appropriate and gratifying. There are certain trades, especially of the liberal arts, where there is a shortage of artists and craftsmen needed in such branches. We believe the shortage of wood carvers is due to the fact that there are no schools in this country where young men could study this art, as in the case of some parts of Europe.

In late years we find quite a demand for finer class of work in all liberal arts, as it is developing fast and being fostered by all great architects.

Much difficulty and financial loss has been experienced by us at times on account of not being able to handle the sculptural work as promptly as required on account of the shortage of help. Our organization is comprised of 80 men and hinges upon the sculptural work, which is interwoven so intricately with our manufactured product that at times we must delay other departments to await sculptural parts to be completed. Inclosed photos will give you an idea of this work.

Several years ago the Government granted us permission to secure several sculptors, and we dare say it was a great handicap when told that these men had to wait their turn on account of the quota law. These dates vary, and it sometimes required two years or better until these men were permitted to enter. At this time, when 25,000 immigrants only are permitted to enter, with a preference list for agricultural men, it would require several years to obtain artists granted permission to come in. It is impossible to wait this long when we have larger contracts to furnish, as, in our country, building is done more rapidly.

The artists who were granted permission by the Labor Department several years ago are in our employ at this time, and we believe it is of great importance that preference be given men who are skilled in their art and whom we find by