Speech #470053212

C.. of Milwaukee. Wisconsi i aid is the latest prlused legislation that the writer has been able to obtain. It is proposed to examine te rovisions of this bill. which has for its object the amelioration of the condition surroundiug tme emigrant durin: his passage over fle ocean. from a sanitary positio. leaving those points involving the jurisprudence and commercial interests affected by the carriageof liviug human focight for the eonsileration of th e merchant asld fi legislator. This act proposed will of course repeal the act of 1855. ad. as staled in the outset. niarks the progress in nautical sanitation. and. in consequence. is an indexer the genral sanitary advance of the coentry. Apart fronl the dangers to pebsic heats that may cem fronm te introdiiethn of centagious or infectious disease. into fhe United States by the avenue of ismsigrstion. it is a matter iof serious interest to the prosperity o1 the souontry that the health and lives of emigrants should be protected during their transportation by sea. One of the methods of deteminhng the passenger capacity is constantly in mss at the present time. and is b.sod on the avarice of owners of vessels sui steamship companies. This method recognizes nothing elsebut to caryas many as can Sput on board. It has no regard fr the healthor comfortoftheemigraut. views him only as snpplying so many dollars to the bank account. and is a marine inheritance 1mm the live trade. with the horrorsof the" middle passage." Although carrying an excess of passengers over that allowed by law renders a vessel liable to . penalty. official reports do not show that any prosecution has resulted in the ryeovery of such penalty frorn vessels reported as violating the previsions of any ast to secure the emigrant from the evils of overcrowding. The magnitude of the interests involved may here be presented. thus there arrived at the port of New York during the last ton yers (from 1870 to 1879 inclu. sive) 1.561.126 emigrants with 2.518 deaths. with a mean sea voyage of thirteen and onehalf days. The other provisions of the bill. which has received the approval of all the United States officials competent to judge of its merits. are substantially as follows: Section 2 provides that there shall be a sufficient number of berths. and not more than two tiers thereof on any deck or space occupied by passengers. separated by partitions. and at least two fet wide and six feet long. double berths to be of proportionate size. All male passengers not members of one family shall be berthed in the fore part of the vessel in a separate apartment. all. female passen. gers not of one family likewise berthed separately.