cost of clothing averaging perhaps not more than $30 per man per year. In some investigations made in Oregon and Washington, it was found that their average cost of subsistence was about $12 per month, but this is, of course, considerably better than those who live on the farms.

ILLITERACY

The percentage of illiteracy among the Hindus is larger than among any other immigrant race, not excepting the Mexicans. In many cases as many as three-fifths of the entire number are unable to read and write. A somewhat larger number of them speak English, especially if we count those who have come in lately, as they have either studied English in India, come here by way of Canada, or come in contact elsewhere with English-speaking people.

ASSIMILATION

They are not readily assimilated, and there seem to be practically none of the people on the Pacific Coast who are not opposed to their immigration, certainly more strongly opposed to them than to the Chinese, and possibly than to the Japanese.

Conclusion

DEMAND FOR LABOR

The conditions in the Western States, where the labor supply is, relatively speaking, much less than in the East, tend to lead one to arrive at an entirely different conclusion regarding immigration. It can not be said that there is an oversupply of immigrant

labor that is tending to reduce the standard of living, as is clearly the case in the East.

EFFECT OF COMPETITION ON WAGES

On the other hand, there can be no doubt that in the case of the Japanese, particularly, and also of the Mexicans, there has been at times a direct scaling down of the rate of wages in order to secure work. This, however, has been in exceptional cases. A much more serious charge is the one against the Japanese of securing labor to begin with by undercutting and then, after securing practically a monopoly of the labor supply, by deliberate violation of contracts, forcing wages in exceptional circumstances to far above the normal rate, especially perhaps as hand laborers on fruit ranches. Often, too, as leaseholders, they are charged with undue cropping, to the serious detriment of the land. It is probable, however, that these charges are true in only exceptional cases, so far as the injury to the farms is concerned; but there can be no doubt that they have made both labor conditions and leasing conditions in many instances very difficult.

OBJECTIONS TO ORIENTAL IMMIGRATION-SOCIAL,

POLITICAL

The chief objection, however, to all of these races comes from the social and assimilative viewpoint. We must grant that, in a good many instances, they have taken an active part in developing industries, especially fish canning and intensive agriculture; but in some cases these industries have been developed on the whole to the detriment of labor conditions in the localities.

Altho they have developed the farming industry in certain cases, in others, by holding control of the labor market and by their severe terms of lease, they have doubtless prevented the coming in of members of white races who might be more easily assimilated.

Moreover, unpleasant as the fact may be, race feeling, not to say race prejudice, has been so strong on the Pacific Coast that in many cases they have brought about serious race conflicts which have been very troublesome from the international point of view as well as from the viewpoint of developing civilization.

Altho there are certain classes of employers that, for the sake of a more rapid development of industry, favor a limited immigration of Asiatics, generally speaking, not only on the Pacific Coast but throughout the country, the feeling is against such further immigration. The Immigration Commission thought it wise to recommend that no changes be made in the laws regarding the immigration of Chinese and Japanese, and that the United States Government take up with the British Government the question of practically excluding the East Indians. It seems probable, all things considered, that this is the wisest policy for Congress to adopt.

THEY PREVENT IMMIGRATION OF WHITE RACES

Another special reason why this should be done is that the presence of these races in large numbers on the coast doubtless prevents the migration from Eastern cities of white immigrants, for there seems to be little doubt that if the number of Asiatics decrease, the moving in of families from the East and the Middle West will be to a very considerable extent stimulated.

Moreover, after the completion of the Panama Canal, there is good reason to believe that Italians and Portuguese in considerable numbers will come directly from their home countries for work along the Pacific Coast. In spite of the criticism of the immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, there is every reason to believe that they are much more easily assimilated than are the Asiatics, and that in a comparatively short time they will become available as part of the general labor supply and prove to be, both as laborers and as citizens, more satisfactory than the Asiatics.

XIV

AGENCIES OF PROTECTION, DISTRIBUTION AND ASSIMILATION

Needs and Present Methods of Distribution

It has been the general feeling, not only of those who have studied carefully the immigration problem, but also of casual observers, that one of the greatest evils that spring from immigration is the congestion of the newly arrived immigrants in our great cities. In consequence, it has been thought that any methods that could be adopted by which these immigrants could be more widely distributed over the different sections of the country, particularly in the agricultural districts, would not merely relieve the evil of the overcrowding, but would also improve the general economic condition of the country. It has been thought that every effort possible ought to be made: (1)To give information to the people in Europe who are about to come to America, regarding the sections of the country and the opportunities for work in different lines, so that they may go directly to the place best suiting their means. (2) That when the immigrant lands he should have the opportunity of getting information along the same lines, so that even at the beginning he may change his mind and go to a new section where conditions will suit his needs. (3) Particularly, however, it is desirable, after the immigrant has remained in this country for a time and has learned to know our language, our institu