Speech #600089253

All right. Now I will take a new start.. When we had the immigration bill up in the last Congress neither the House nor the Senate had acted on the amount of air space that each immigrant might have. but as we have stricken out the entire Senate bill. we had the right to legislate on that subject. Our then colleague from New York. Hon. Jacob Ruppert. jr.. suggested that the immigrants were not given enough room on the steamers. and his views were afterwards reenforced by another distinguished citizen from our State. the President of the United States. Subsequently. on the motion of Senator LOMcE. one of the conferees. and by a unanimous vote of the conferees. we adopted a provision which we thought would increase the amount of air space for each immigrant about 25 per cent. We amended a statute which had been passed in 18S2 and which was a good statute at that time. as ships then were. After we had adopted that standard other foreign governments. realizing that we could regulate the matter. took action. The Italian Government took the matter up. the German Government took the matter up. the English Government took the matter up. and the English Government adopted a rule that went further than ours. Our statute permitted the carrying of immigrants on two decks below the main deck. The British struck out the words " main deck" and all descriptions. because it is no longer applicable to ships of ten decks. and based everything on lowest decks. They provided that no passenger could be carried on a deck below the lowest deck. as described in this rule. It also provided for 5foot space for each immigrant on the promenade. deck. Subsequently the Senate had a bill drafted by the Commissioner of Navigation. conforming the English rule to our American statute. and the bill passed the Senate unanimously. When it came to the House committee we made these changes: We increased the amount of air space by an amendment from 15 feet on any deck to IS feet and from 1S feet on the lowest deck to 21 feet. We also made verbal changes. and provided this: Commodious and suitable dining rooms. lounging rooms. smoking rooms. lavatories. toilet rooms. and bathrooms shall be provided for the exclusive use of steerage passengers. and the space so occupied shall also be included. That is included in the 18 feet or 21 feet. as the ease may be. As the bill is reported from the House committee. and as it comes before us today. it increases the amount of spaceassuming 8 feet between decksas the amendment is intended to. from 100 cubic feet in the present law. with an Sfoot deck. to :184 feet on every deck except the lowest. and 208 feet on the lowest deck.