AMERICA'S CLOSED DOOR.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17293, 3 November 1921, Page 11

AMERICA'S CLOSED DOOR.

LIMITING IMMIGRATION. ("Sjduev Morning Herald's" Correspondent.) SAN FBANCISOO, September 23. _ The operation of America's new imnri* gration law is playing havoo with passengers from Australia and Now Zealand arriving, at tho port of San Fran- | Cisco, and already has occasioned considerable hardship and inconvenience. Several Australasian visitors have • been notified at tho last moment, when.awaiting disembarkation at San Francisco, that they will not be allowed to lanct in Undo Sam's territory owing to new immigration regulations, Ine new law permits only a certain percentage of any specified country's nationals to enter tho United States per annum. Ono of tho parties compelled to undergo this experience consisted of Mr B. J, Higgins, an- Australian, who has interests in Los Angeles, South California, nnd his wife and two young children. Mr Higgins and his family were pasEcngors from Syflney to San Francisco aboard the Union Steamship Company's liner Mnrama, but the party of four was right of landing in America, aud was detained the steamer by tho immigration authorities when tho vessel reached San Francisco. Mr HigginS intimated that he intended his feturn to the States to bo t permanent. and was intensely disappointed when ho learned that lie might have to return to Sydney, where ho would have to wait until 1922 before lie could gain admission to the United States. For several vears Mr ,Higgins was a resident of .the XJnitod States, but never took steps to become an American citizen because of his interests in and around Sydney and Brisbaine. He left America 14 years ago, and has been "in Australia during that time.' In vain he offered to'put Up any amount of cash as a bond if tne immigration authorities would permit him to land in San Francisco and allow him to remain there until a caso could be decided in Washington His request wna refused, and Mr Higgins and his wife and children were compelled to remain aboard the Marama. Mr Higgins states that when leaving Sydney he was informed bv the American Consul that there would be no trouble whatever in landing i" America. His passports had been vised by the American Consul iu S.vdncv, he paid his poll tax, and had arranged with his attorney for payment or incotno taxes. Conseauently he thought everything was in order. .... The writer discussed the situation with authorities controlling the waterfront, and they were all convinced that/ the new immigration law would have to be amended radically very shortly, owing to its evident impracticability. It was frcelv admitted that "someone had blundered," and that the best class of settler was being excluded from entry to the United Stateß. "Washington never intended to prevent the landing of sucn desirable men as Mr Higgins" remarked one official. "We admit Chinese to this country under bond, and tho least we -could do is to extend even the same privilege to people from tho Southern Sca« for New Zealanders and Australinns'nre tho very bet type of men as wttlers in America. We should not exclude anv pereons possessing good education. and, above all. people usine tho English language should invariably bo ndm'tHod to these shores of tho United States." . , , , A tor hours after Ibis official han expressed his opinions ono of the San Francis?.) evening newspapers contained the Mibioincd paragraph"The Hikgins party have been granted permission to land on orders from Washington. They Inro boon held up becanse tho .luota of immiprants from Australia allowed under the new law was believed to hav<* been exhausted, "but the authorities at Washington ruled that Higgins a his wife could enter, as tho quota had not been reached." , . According to tho new immigration ln«< the exodus of emigrant! from Australia to the United St ites is limited to 10 per cenfc. of the immigration from the Antipodes in 191#. or. approximately 271 Immigration officials nave reduced this number to a monthly average, and for that reason steamship eOmpaoies serving Australia are only allowed to book a certain number of immigrants each month.