Sabath Introduces Bill to Repeal “national Origins” Quota Law

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

A bill that would repeal “the most obnoxious, discriminatory, unfair, unreasonable” provisions for the ascertainment of national origin as provided in the 1924 Immigration Act, was introduced on Saturday by Congressman Sabath.

Mr. Sabath’s bill is directed at the provision which goes into effect July 1, 1927, whereby the number of immigrants admissible to the United States will be based on the number of inhabitants in this country, according to origin of birth or ancestry and limits the number to 150,000 annually.

Mr. Sabath incorporated the present 2 per cent quota clause in his bill, but he based its operation on the 1900 census which would increase the number of immigrants admissible over the present law by 14,102. Under the 1890 census, now being used, 164,667 are admissible.

The bill also provides for the admission of the wives and children under twenty-one, also the fathers and mothers over fifty-five of American citizens. It would also admit children under eighteen of declarants who have resided in the United States for more than three years and have filed their declaration of intention to become citizens more than a year.

Mr. Sabath said the total number of immigrants that could possibly be admitted under the provisions of his bill would approximate 190,000, “and as the annual return is more than 50 per cent of those who arrive, therefore the net total increase from European immigration would under no condition reach 100,000 annually.”

He estimates his bill will increase the quota from Belgium over the national origin plan from 260 to 749; Czecho-Slovakia from 1,320 to 3,521, Denmark from 1,092 to 3,298; Finland from 498 to 1,365, France from 2,763 to 3,734, Germany from 22,018 to 43,081, Norway from 2,433 to 6,857, Poland from 4,509 to 16,277, Roumania from 386 to 1,512, and Russia from 4,002 to 4,956.

The quota from Great Britain and Ireland would be reduced from 91,111 to 37,282.