[70 NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW

“Doctor Hin. That is true.
“Senator CoreLanp. In 1850 did they go back further than the immediate
parents? .
“ Doctor Hin. It did not go back as far as that; simply their own birthplace,
whether foreign born, and in what countries. .
“ Senator CorELAND., When did they begin to ask anything about the parents?
“ Doctor HinL. They made a beginning in 1880, but, ag I stated a while ago,
that was not a complete classification. The first complete classification made of
parents was in 1890.
“ Senator SuipsTrEAD. Then until 1850 there was nothing to show ‘except Ly
assuming from the names?
“Doctor HILL. Well, we have the figures, you know.
“ Senator SuipsTEAD. Were there any other immigration figures other than
those required by the Government to be filed by the officers of incoming ships
with the immigration officers, the number of passengers, and that the passengers
tanded were accredited to the flag carried by the ship?
“Doctor HrLL. I think you are right about that. I am not familiar with
the immigration regulations of those days.
“ Senator SHrpsTEAD. So, if the ship eame in carrying passengers from all
over Europe, assume she had 1,000 passengers, the officer would file with the
immigration department a manifest showing that 1,000 came here, and that
German ship and immigration officials would accredit those immigrants to
(Germany; is that right?
* Senator Reep. I doubt whether there was any ship of that capacity at that
time,
* Senator SHipsTEAD. Of course, the figures 1 assumed merely for the purpose
of illustration. For instance, an English ship coming in nuder the English flag,
carrying passengers from all over Burone, the passengers would be accredited to
England
“ Senator Winns. The way they handled ships in those days that woukl not
be a bad guess, beeause they did not have tramp vessels gathering up carvo. A
ship was laden and went to a certain port.
* Senator Reep. Your conclusions upon that were checked, were they iio,
oy. statistics of emigrants from various countries?
“Doctor Hit. So far as we could get them.”
In Doctor LIS last report he says:
“In order to utilize the available data to best advantage in the determination
 of national origin it was necessary first of all to determine what proportion
of the white population of the United States in 1920 was derived trom the
white population present in the United States when the fitst census was taken
in 1790.”
Suppose that it were possible to determine what percentage of the population
 of 1920 was descended from the population prior to 1790, what beuring
could that have on the national origins of the population of 1920 unless we
had some definite immigration and census records informing us on what was
the national origins of the population prior to 17907
On page 2 of Doctor Hill's last report we learn—
“The national origin of the original native or colonial stock is assumed to
be the same as that of the 1790 population. In its preliminary report, submitted
in 1026, the quota committee accepted the classification of 1790 population by
nationalities as given in A Century of Population Growth, a work published
0y the Bureau of the Census in 1909, It was admitted. however, that there
was a ‘considerable element of uncertainty’ in a classification based as that
was upon the names of heads of families.”
On page 4 of the last report and the one now pending we find that oue
nf the experts explains the method of determining the national otig ns of the
population of 1790. This shows plainly that the committee of experts’ report
is based on A Century of Population Growth, which again is based ou the
census of 1790, and the only excuse for basing the quotus on the census of
1790 and the only scientific thing about it ix that they determine the national
origin of the population of 1790 by tracing or by guessing the national origin
of the indiv.dual, using his name ax a basis. This method was cons dered so
unscientific at the time of the passage of the immigration act that the (onsress
 specifically prohibited this method from being used.
Therefore, up until 1890, we find there was no complete classification
made of the national origins of the parents of the American population by
‘he Census Bureau. This is an admission of Doctor 1Lill in the hearings conlucted
 by your committee. It seems to me. therefore. that the record sas well