Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

interested only in the needs of the individual, but including the public-health nurse, hospital social worker and others whose job requires attention to family and community relations and conditions.

Eliminating the executive service from all the following figures, of 2,500 nonexecutive full-time employees of social agencies, only 270 are professional social workers. Of 573 in the agent group, averaging $122 a month, there are 225 social workers who average $128. Of 167 in the assistant-agent grade there are only 15 social workers whose salaries average $104, compared with $111 for the group as a whole. Of 65 secretaries, 30 are professional social workers with $184, as against $159 for the secretary group as a whole. The average professional social worker in a federation agency gets $125 a month compared with $110 for all employees, $120 for the public librarian, and $148 for the public-school teacher.

For the budget study this fall, we plan to prepare charts in duplicate, having one ready for each agency as it appears before the committee. These charts will show by means of horizontal bars, shaded or colored, for each position in the classification the lowest and highest wages paid by any agency, the average beginning salary, and average maximum, and the general average. By means of pins we expect to show the number of employees in the staff of the particular agencies under discussion, the positions they occupy, their proposed salaries, and the way in which those salaries compare with what others receive for similar work. That may lead further. At least, we hope so.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

IVISION X-UNITING OF NATIVE AND FOREIGN-
BORN IN AMERICA

THE PRESENT IMMIGRATION OUTLOOK

A. THE EMIGRATION POLICY OF CZECHO-SLOVAKIA

Dr. A. Sum, Social Service Attaché, Czecho-Slovak Embassy, Washington, D.C. The problem of emigration is as serious for the government of Czecho-Slovakia is is the problem of immigration for the government and the people of the United States. Czecho-Slovakia has inherited this problem from the former AustroHungarian Empire. Austria left to the new republic an empty desk, as the Vienna parliament never succeeded in regulating emigration for fear it would be said that a good law would only encourage emigration. Several times (in 1904, 1908, 1913), the Austrian government tried in vain to get through various bills regulating emigration and so, according to the old Austrian constitution, the emigration remained free with the exception of some restrictions concerning persons of military age.

A short time before the war the problem of emigration became very serious in Austria, owing to a great industrial crisis which arose there as a result of the occupation of the market in the Balkan States by Germany. At that time emigration was greatly stimulated by the economic crisis, which the German Steamship Companies used for an unlawful propaganda to their advantage. From 1902 until 1911, 2,191,734 persons emigrated from Austria and Hungary, including 97,938 Czechs or Bohemians. Out of this number only 4,813 Bohemians and 68,517 Slovaks returned during the years 1908-12.

Hungary left Czecho-Slovakia two emigration laws, one of the year 1903, the other passed in 1909; but in spite of the drastic provisions of these laws, 321,584 Slovaks left their country from the year 1902 to 1911-that is, over 32,000 a year. The principal reasons for the Slovak emigration were, first, the Magyar oppression; and second, the land poverty. The best land was owned by a few members of the Hungarian aristocracy, leaving very little, and that mostly in the mountains, for the Slovak peasant. There were cases of 70,000 hectares being owned by one individual. The war stopped emigration entirely the opening of the frontiers, after the war, emigration from some parts of Slovak Republic, established from the ruins of the old Austro-Hungaria There is, however, a difference between the emigration from from Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. emigration since the war, while it Slovakia and Carpatho-Russia in months of the year 1921. While, number of Czecho-Slovaks admitte

[graphic]

admitted from the first of July till the

all Slovaks; and during the first months of the year 1921, 12,668 persons, nearly i
Slovaks, entered the United States. In the month of May alone about 1,300 Slovaki

came.

In order to explain this phenomenon one has to bear in mind that emigration has been accumulating during the five years of war. Thousands and thousands of Slovaks who left their families in the old country, saved several hundreds or thousands of dollars, owing to the favorable industrial situation in the United States during and immediately after the war, and returned to Slovakia, where, due to the favorable rate of exchange of the dollar, they were considered very rich people. They weat to practically all parts of Slovakia and Carpatho-Russia and their far-fetched tales of the wonderful conveniences offered by factories in America, where there is no short age of flour, sugar, meat, or bread, tempted their friends and relations to go to that wonderful country where it is so easy to become rich.

The Hungarian law of the year 1909 forbids the sending out of agents by the steam Another stimulus to the Slovak emigration was the activity of steamship agents. ship companies for propaganda purposes and the establishment of offices in the country; but Slovakia and Carpatho-Russia were and are still full of unscrupulous their unlawful work for each ticket sold. Most of these agents are recruited from oper agents of various foreign steamship companies, who receive a special commission for their best to persuade the ignorant Slovak people to leave their homes in order to or secret sympathizers with the Magyar régime, who, from political reasons are trying make the country free for those who are in sympathy with the Magyar cause.

While before the war, the principal stream of emigrants never touched Prague, after the war, Prague, the capital of the new republic, was flooded not only by emigrants from Slovakia and Carpatho-Russia but also by foreigners coming from Russia, Roumania, and Poland, so that the public opinion in Prague insisted on the govern ment preparing immediately a bill, which would forbid all emigration from Czechotion of which is possible only through a farseeing emigration policy on the basis of a conscious that emigration is a great political, social, and economic problem, the soluspecial emigration law, and through the full co-operation of the government with all interested agencies of the nation. Therefore, the Czecho-Slovak government will try, through preventive measures, first of all so to improve the living conditions in the country that the citizens will remain satisfied and happy at home. Land reform will be one of the most effective measures. expropriated large estates to tenants (preference being given to disabled soldiers A plan has been made for allotting the and their families), which will keep emigrant families at home and provide land for many others who are returning home from foreign countries. The improvement in the breeding of cattle, planned by the ministry of agriculture, as well as the support given by the government to the small peasantry, to industry, and to the small craftsmen, will all aid in limiting emigration, but will not stop it. Emigration will last as long as the economic situation in the United States remains more favorable. The greater the difference between the value of human labor in America and in Czecho-Slovakia, the greater will be the stimulus for emigration. Emigration will last also as long as the ties binding the members of the families and relations in the Old and New World exist, as long as human nature continues to expect something better from new surroundings than are offered in the old.

These are the natural causes of emigration, and in such cases emigration mostly contributes to the healthy balance of economic conditions between various countries. There are also, however, artificial causes of emigration which can and must be remedied by a law, in order to protect those citizens who want to emigrate, and through this protection, to prevent the wasting of national property. Unnecessary and harmful emigration, equally so for the emigrant and for the nation, is provoked by the steamship companies and their unscrupulous agents, who consider no other interests than their own. In such cases the law must interfere. The tendency of the new Emigration law, which is being prepared by the Czecho-Slovak government, is not to forbid emigration, such a measure being absolutely futile, but to limit it in all cases where it is artificially provoked, and to organize it for the benefit of the emigrant and of the nation.

The following are the principles of the new Czecho-Slovak Emigration law: First, the law gives a clear definition of who is to be considered an emigrant, saying that an emigrant is a person who leaves the territory of the Czecho-Slovak Republic in order to seek his living in a foreign country. There is no distinction between Czecho-Slovak citizens and foreigners; the law protects everybody: the person who has a domicile in the territory of the Czecho-Slovak Republic, though a foreigner, the person passing through Czecho-Slovak territory, no matter if he is leaving forever or only for a short time or for a long time. Practically every person who is traveling as a steerage passenger, or as a passenger of a class corresponding to the steerage, is considered an emigrant provided that it is not self-evident that such a person is traveling for other purposes than to seek a living in a foreign country. Second, the law provides for freedom of emigration, with the following exceptions: (a) persons of "military age" (from seventeen to forty), who if they want to emigrate in order to obtain foreign citizenship, must have a special permission from the Ministry of National Defense; (b) minor persons when they are not accompanied by their father. In such cases the court acting as guardian of such a person must first give consent to his leaving the country. For persons over eighteen years old, such consent is not required if they desire to emigrate to another European country. Minor women and girls and boys under sixteen years of age can emigrate without their father or mother only if accompanied by a reliable person, who will bring them to their place of destination; (c) persons who are in conflict with the criminal law; (d) persons who, by law, have to care for other persons; (e) persons who are incapable to a certain extent of earning their living; (f) persons who would be likely to arrive at their destination without means of livelihood; (g) persons who would be refused entry by the country to which they wish to emigrate.

According to the law of Februrary 29th, 1920, No. 121, paragraph 110 of the Czecho-Slovak constitution, the freedom of emigration can be limited only by law. Emigration, however, can be restricted so as not to permit it in certain territories where the life, liberty, or the moral interests of citizen's might be endangered. Emigration can be directed along certain lines, which it would be in the interest of the emigrant to use. Every emigrant who is a Czecho-Slovak citizen, must be provided with a special emigration traveling certificate as an essential document. Foreigners will not receive these certificates.

Third, the law provides that reliable information regarding the conditions in the country to which the person desires to emigrate be furnished by a disinterested private office under the control of the government.

Fourth, the law also regulates the co-operation with various voluntary organizations and institutions, to protect the emigrants on their journey, especially in the ports, assisting them in their difficulties, and if necessary granting them financial support. It also regulates the conduct of the asylums and information offices.

Fifth, the law forbids unconditionally all propaganda for colonization in overseas countries. Colonization is permitted in European countries only with the consent of the Minister of Social Welfare.

Sixth, the hiring of workingmen for transmarine countries is forbidden. For European countries the hiring of laborers from Czecho-Slovakia can be done only through the Ministry of Public Works. In order to protect the workingmen going to foreign countries, the bill prescribes that every workingman, before leaving CzechoSlovakia must receive a copy of a written labor contract in his language and in the language of the employer. Only the public labor exchange, under the control of the Ministry of Social Welfare, are authorized to engage workingmen for foreign countries; thus protecting them against exploitation by foreign employers.

Seventh, the law pays special attention to the transportation of the emigrants; regulating not only their transportation across the sea, but also on land. Without a special license issued by the Ministry of Social Welfare, no steamship company will be authorized to transport emigrants from Czecho-Slovakia. Foreign steamship companies which receive a license for Czecho-Slovakia must be represented by a Czecho-Slovak citizen, who will have full power to act as agent for the company and must also have unlimited authority to act before the Czecho-Slovak courts. The agent must be authorized to facilitate control by the Czecho-Slovak government in the arrangements made by the companies in foreign ports, and be able to execute all duties imposed on the company by the Czecho-Slovak laws and regulations. Licenses will not be given to those who desire to obtain them for purposes of colonization in other countries, nor to those whose business it is to make propaganda for the steamship companies. Such persons will not be allowed to act as agents or representatives of the licensed transportation companies.

There is no tendency to concentrate the transportation of emigrants in the hands of one single steamship company. The government believes in healthy competition. The company need not necessarily own its own ships (these may be hired), but it is essential that the company be in a position to transport the emigrants according to the provisions of the emigration law. The license will be issued for one year and a deposit of ten thousand Czecho-Slovak crowns will be required as a guaranty.

Excepting in Prague, the establishing of Emigration offices will be allowed only with the consent of the Ministry of Social Welfare and then only in the capitals of the provinces. The director of such a branch must be approved by the Minister of Social Welfare, who may at any time ask for the dismissal of such a director or any other official of the branch office. The employees in the offices of the transportation companies must have fixed salaries and are not allowed to have any other occupations. The tourists' offices are forbidden to sell steerage tickets, or of a class corresponding to the steerage, as well as to sell any steamship tickets to emigrants. The steamship companies are prohibited by law from making any direct or indirect propaganda in order to entice people to emigrate. No information whatsoever may be given to anybody except upon request. The only information that can be given under these

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »