Speech #600089354

Mr. Speaker. this bill Is in the interest of the foreign steamship owners and against the welfare of the poor immigrant. My sympathy is all with the latter. It is a bill against humanity. and the motion of the gentleman from New York should be voted down. Last year. after a great deal of consideration. after a most thorough investigation. we passed the act of February 20. 1907. Section 42 of that act provided for the air space that these steamship companies should allow to these poor immigrants. but the enforcement of that section was unwisely postponed until next January. The Commissioner of Immigration in New York. Mr. Watchorn. a man of much experience. a man of great efficiency. and a man whose competency has never been questioned. has testified that the postponement of section 42 was a great mistake. against the welfare of the poor immigrants. and in the interests of the foreign steamship companies. I agree with Mr. Watchorn. Now. you want to practically repeal section 42 to help the steamship companies. I asked the gentleman from New York . when he was on the floor. whether this new bill would increase or decrease the air space allowed to the immigrants. and he said it would increase the space. He is mistaken about it. The record conclusively shows that the gentleman from New York was in error. It will decrease the air space. It will mean the crowding of more immigrants in the holds of the steamships. It will mean more sickness and more distress and more deaths for poor men and women and children. It is a mistake. and it will never have my sanction. The poor immigrants pay for their passage and should be treated like human beings and not like cattle. The record and the testimony demonstrate beyond question that the passage of this bill will decrease the air space instead of increasing it. and I trust the motion will be voted down. in the interest of humanity.