24 NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW
STATEMENT OF HON. ROBE CARL WHITE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY,
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The Cmamrman. Secretary White, you know the subject matter
under discussion. Can you enlighten the committee in respect to it$
Assistant Secretary Wurre. I do not know that I can add much to
what has been said. The Department of Labor has taken about the
position that the Department of State has taken, as outlined by Mr.
Carr. Our attitude is one of watchful waiting. We feel that we
are administering the present law in a satisfactory manner, and we
believe we can administer the national-origins plan if it is put into
affect.
Senator Coperanp. In that connection, are you having less and
less trouble in administering the present law?
Assistant Secretary Wire. Yes; the quotas as allotted, are generally
 accepted by the various nationalities at the present time. I
do not know as it will help you, but in my judgment any other quota
announced by our Government would be equally as well accepted.
Senator CoreLanD. After education of the public?
Assistant Secretary WaiTe. Yes.
The Cmamman. It would be unfortunate to undertake a change
of the quotas and then repeal the change within a brief period, would
it not?
Assistant Secretary Ware. I do not know as I can answer that
question, Mr. Chairman. We never know what a change will entail,
and I can not at this time——
The Cramman. I was not speaking of the change. If a change
were made, there would be, as you say, adjustment to it within a very
few years by all the nations of the earth, I assume. But if a change
were made, and then immediately that change were revoked, annulled,
and repealed, it would be an unfortunate thing to do, would it not?
Assistant Secretary Warre. It would cause some disturbance in
administration of the law.
Senator Harris. If the national origins was put into effect it
would not interfere with those who applied to come in under the
quota of the different countries—it would not change their status?
Senator Reep. The waiting list ” would remain as it is?
Senator Harris. The waiting list would remain the same?
Assistant Secretary Ware. I understand it would remain the
same.
Senator CopeLanp. Mr. White, this is true, as you have already
stated, that it would take some time to adjust the country to the
1890 census plan, as a matter of education. I have no doubt your
experience has been the same as my own in New York. Now, they
have adjusted themselves to it, and I do not see anything of them.
But if you had a new system, if you had a new quota, a new arrangement,
 which was not yet understood by the people, would you not
have this same sort of unhappiness and restlessness as we had when
we adopted the 1890 plan?
Assistant Secretary Wrrte. When the 1924 act was put into effect
there was no noticeable disturbance or questioning of the quota,
from our department’s standpoint. I doubt seriously if we would
nate anything particularly if the national-origins plan is put into
nffeet.