Speech #590030761

Well you may be. perhaps. and if you will refer to that report you would be further astounded at the conditions that exist in this country. Mr. Chairman. right here I want to prove to you that a very large part of the immigration which has steadily grown since the year of the Chinese exclusion act from southern and eastern Europe and Asia is much more undesirable than that of the Chinaman. He not only possesses all the objectionable features alleged against the Chinaman. but in addition he comes nursing the sentiment of anarchy and sedition. and that his coming Is aided and encouraged by the Government he represents. and that during the time he is here secret agencies sent by his Government keep constant watch over him. poisoning his mind against our Institutions and alluring him to remain loyal to the mother country. First. to prove that foreign governments are encouraging their subjects to come here for temporary stay. the AustroHungarian Government has made a contract with the Cunard Steamship Company. plying between Fiume and New York. by the terms of which the Government obligates itself to furnish the ship company 30.000 steerage passengers a year for twelve years or pay a penalty of 100 crowns for each one short of that number. In return for this service the ship company appointed the Bureau of Tourists and Travel. an organized company subsidized by the Government for the ostensible purpose of attracting tourists to AustriaHungary. its sole agent to sell tickets to emigrants coming to the United States. paying said agency 18 crowns for its own service and the further sum of 10 crowns to be paid over to the Government. In order to facilitate the business of the Bureau of Tourists and Travel and to relieve the steamship company of any responsiIlility for violating the law which forbids any steamship company from encouraging emigration to the United States. this bureau Is authorized to name as many subagents as they desire and the Government issues to them a license. They are called "runners" and are paid a commission on every emigrant they can send to the bureau. In order to induce emigrants to come to the United States they tell the most roseate stories of the country. the pleasures of the voyage. and the wonderful success their countrymen have made here. As they are not responsible to anyone and their commission depends solely upon the number they induce to emigrate. they are not particular who they are. but. like all other games of deceit. It is most easily practiced upon the ignorant. weak. and unfortunate. and this is the chief reason why we are daily receiving so many paupers. diseased. depraved and ignorant immigrants. which we may expect to continue until we enact such legislation as will remedy it. The 10 crowns paid to the Government upon each immigrant coming to the United States is used first to pay the salary of the commissioner of immigration and his inspector. which is small. and the remainder is to keep alive the Magyar spirit among the Hungarians who have come to the United States by building and establishing schools. churches. and homes In New York and in other cities. and to return such Hungarians to their mother country as have failed to make a success and have not the means to pay their own way back. During the year 1904. and largely due to the rate war. ships other than the Cunard Line made a clear profit of $2.000.000 on Hungarian immigrants embarking at other ports than Flume. This at once attracted the attention of the Government. who. anxious to reap all the profit possible out of the Immigration business. at once extended the terms of the contract with the Cunard Line to the North German Lloyd. HamburgAmerican. and other steamship lines. Since the date of the contract with the Cunard Line. and up to June. 1905. that steamship company has paid to the AustroHungarian Government 2.600.000 crowns. and the North German Lloyd paid her 100.000 crowns during the month of March. 1905.