Speech #610068241

C. DEAR SIR: Senator LEE S. OVERMAN. of North Carolina. introduced an amendment to the tariff bill increasing the head tax on immigrants from $4 to $10. and upon a thorough investigation of this matter I have discovered. by personally questioning some of those recently landed. that the Immigrants are entirely ignorant of the fact that any tax is placed upon them when entering this country. and upon looking into the matter further I find that in the event of an immigrant continuing his or her travels to either Mexico or Canada a rebate of the amount paid for the head tax Is given. not to the immigrant. but to the steamship company on whose vessel he has traveled to this country. and. therefore. the tax is practically levied upon the steamship companies. According to official records for 1908 the expenditures of the immigrant fund exceeded the receipts from payment of head taxes. etc.. by the enormous sum of $2.000.000. and inasmuch as the steamship companies are directly benefited by tile bringing of immigrants. I see no just reason why this tax should not be increased. They are certainly making a handsome profit out of the business. else they would not be continually adding so many new vessels to their already large fleets. On Sunday there came to New York the new North German Lloyd steamship George Vashington. with a carrying capacity of 3.303 persons. This is her maiden trip. and according to the newspapers she Is the "newest and largest German ship afloat." On June 4 there came to New York the new Italian liner America. with a steerage capacity of 2.404 . on June 5 there came the Cincinnati. of the HamburgAmerican Line. on her first and maiden trip. with 2.064 steerage passengers. The North German Lloyd has 332 vessels afloat. traveling chiefly between the old and this country. threefourths of which come to us from countries bordering chiefly on the Mediterranean. as a result of their shifting the source of ourforeign immigration there in pursuit of the most profitable traffic. The International Mercantile Marine has in the neighborhood of 150 boats afloat. and they also run chiefly between the Mediterranean countries and the United States. or engage in bringing that class of people via northern European ports. It must be clearly evident to you that this business must be paying a handsome profit. notwithstanding the reports given out about dividends. etc. It seems to me that these foreign corporations and their owners would not be so foolish as to invest their .money in losing enterprises. Therefore it is reasonable. In view of the deficit In last yedfrs immigrant fund. to have them contribute to our Federal Treasury at least enough to support and defray the reasonable expenses of the immigration service. Why is it that the construction of needed. much needed. hospitals. detention rooms. and other accommodations at Ellis Island had to be postponed and curtailed? The Ellis Island station is the only one owned by the Government. those at Philadelphia.