Speech #540082055

Mr. Speaker. that the commission appointed to investigate this matter should have an opinion worth something. and I find in their report the following statements: Through the United States consul at the latter place (Libau) Mr. Stump obtained valuable confirmatory information. and learned that the principal steamship lines landing immigrants at our ports have ageuts engaged ini soSliciting business there. He alo learned that a firm in Hamburg controlled the letting of contracts for transporting these immigrants in numbers to the steamship lines offering the most reasonable terms per capita. From Liba the United States has received the most undesirable immigration landed hero during the present Administration. All were most carefully inspected upon arrival. and many were ordered deported and returned. A large proaortion of them however were landed. it appearing that they were coming to fathers. husbatnds. children. or welltodo relatives already here. who were able and willing to assist and give them employment. INumbers came on prepaid tickets which were procured in the United States and paid for on the installment plan. A man sending for his wife and children .would contract with an agent here to pay a few dollars each week until the ticket was pmaid for. In the meantime word would be sent to the agent in Hamburg or Liban to procure transportation. and upon payment of the last installment they would he embarked. arriving here destitute and penniless. Innumerable frauds wvere practiced upon the inspectors by persons pretending to be relatives. and some not entitled to land escaped detection. while a few. probably. were returned who should have been landed. but were unable to establish their right to do so to the satisfaction of the Umted States immigration officials. In the investigatlon of this subject by the Senate Committee on Immigration (Senator HILL. chairman) in May 1893 it was developed that in an average year the Italian bankers of New York City alone send to Italy $25.0.000 to $30.000.000. All this money can not be regarded as a loss to this country. inasmuch as the work done by those who have earned it has added in some measure to its wealth. Nevertheless. the net result would be very different were the same work done by persons permanently residing in this country and spending their money here. The Italian laborer comes now. not under direct contract. perhaps. but with the knowledge that he need only go to the Italian quarter im the port of his arrival to get work as his countrymen have done before him. Once in this quarter he falls under the influence of the padrone. and thereafter is at his disposition. The padroni still manipulate immigrant labor very much as they please.-and it is thus still possible for a contractor to secure within a few hours any number of Italian laborers. skilled or unskilled. at wages 33 to 50 per cent below the American standard. This is an injury as serious. perhaps even more serious. to the latter than direct importation. because of the greater ease and quickness with which their labor can be supplanted. * . * * * * * The constant influx of foreign labor is naturally and undeniably one of the chief causes of labor depression in this country at present. It is a wellknown fact that this importation of the lower classes of Huns. Slavs. and Italians has been the principal cause of violence and dissatisfaction. as every 100 immigrants necessarily force a corresponding number of United States citizens to either accept lower wages or go on a strike and join the already too large army of unemployed. While other countries have their Discharged Prisoners Associations for the purpose of unloading this class of criminal and pauper laborers upon other countries. we. through these steamship companies. have agents soliciting the immigration of these people into our country. No wonder that labor all over this country is rising in outraged indignation and calling upon Congress to come to its rescue. Why.