Speech #510138878

Mr. Speaker. it has been the policy of the Government of this country. from its organization. to open wide its doors to the people of all nations. But as time has gone on it has been found that the cupidity of man has abused this privilege. and forced immigration. contract immigration. purchased immigration has become an evil. and a crying evil. in the land. Not only have the Governments of other countries shipped to us their convicts and paupers. but men of greed within our own country have sent abroad and made contracts for the importation of laborers to come into this country. and under those contracts such laborers have come here and entered into competition with our own honest home labor. This evil became such that in 1885 the Congress of the UnitedStates passed an act prohibiting the importation of contract labor into this country. A subsequent amendatory net was passed in 1887. and a still further amendment in 1888. The administration of these laws by the Department of the Treasury has developed instances in which. under the provisions of these laws. evasions were possible. Under the last administration which was charged with the enforcement of these laws. efforts were made to prevent the importation of contract labor. and to a large extent those efforts were successlul. Under the present administration of the Treasury Department. the efforts to enforce these laws have been continued and with much success. but the Department finds that there are cases which the present laws do not in practice cover. and which makes necessary further legialation if the labor of this country is to be protected fully against contract labor brought in from abroad. The Committee on Labor have reported this bill after a conference with gentlemen charged with the execution of these laws. and they believe that the provisions of the proposed bill. if enacted into law. will very materially aid the officers of this Government in preventing such immigration. It is my purpose in the few minutes assigned to me to state wherein this law adds to or takes from the existing statutes. In the first place. the exemptions under the present act are in one respect increased and in another diminished.