Speech #590092026

I was going to ask the Senator from New Hampshire. and I will ask his attention nowhe has the bill before himwhether he will not so modify the amendment as to confine it to a motion to strike out. after line 8. down to and including the word "same" in line 22. so as to leave the preceding part of that section. which would be as follows: S.c. 26. Authority is hereby given the CommissionerGeneral of Immigration to establish. under the direction and control of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. a division of information In the Bureau of Immigration. The Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall appoint a chief of such division and such clerical assistants as may be necessary. It shall be the duty of said division to promote a beneficial distribution of aliens admitted into the United States among the several States and Territories desiring immigration. Then. going down to line 22. there would be added the part the Senator has just read. providing for the special agents for the States. The idea in my mind is this: If all the agents contemplated by the latter part of this amendment are appointed. there certainly ought to be some particular division of the Bureau of Immigration devoted to the particular work that these many agents will have in hand. It will be necessary. it seems to me. for the CommissionerGeneral to make some such provision for them even in the absence of legislation. but there ought to be some such legislation as will enable him to make that provision conveniently. and for .the necessary money with which to do it. Otherwise. as it now stands. If the amendment were limited as now proposed by the Senator from New Hampshire. these agents would go there without any particular department of the Immigration Bureau to which they would make their special applications. and which would have charge of the particular interests they were seeking to promote. It would eliminate from the amendment the part which has excited the principal criticism of the Senators who have opposed it. in that which requires that the Bureau should gather information through the States and publish it in different languages and all that. All that would be eliminated. and the only effect would be to create a division in the Bureau of Immigration which would have special consideration of this matter of distribution and the work at last would be done through -the State agents. It seems to me that possibly might be a convenient solution of the difficulties with which we are now confronted.