Speech #610087483

He equipped himself thoroughly with an investigation of the law. particularly in relation to Chinese. He slept nights in the mountains of southern California. watching the system of importation of Chinese people. His efforts resulted in an entire reformation of the immigration service there. and the importation of Chinese from Mexico is almost entirely broken up. Then he came here and took a position as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Labor. without increase of compensation. and. with the knowledge that he had and the knowledge that he gained there. redrafted the entire immigration statute. and in particular the entire Chinese exclusion law. worth time after time the whole of his compensation. for we spend annually under the Chineseexclusion act $500.000 a year. We could save much of that if we Lould only get proper legislation. Professor Jenks had charge of Industrial investigations. and investigated the whiteslave traffic. and. associated with Mr. Wheeler. the Chinese investigation. and he gave nights and days and. I regret to say. Sundays to the work of the Immigration Commission. I say it with regret. that during nearly three years of service on the commission I have seen him aging with the work he has done as a faithful servant of the United States Government. [Loud applause.] And the gentleman in all fairness ought to have called the attention of the House to this fact. that because the collection of facts and figures is over. there remains now but the work of tabulation. and for that reason this $125.000 provision contains this item. at the suggestion of Professor Jenks. Mr. Wheeler. and Doctor Neill: "The commission does not ask for any further provision for salaries of commissioners." so that not one dollar of that $125.000 would have gone to the salaries of the men whom he criticises. The gentleman also says in relation to Professor Jenks: I am Inclined to think he was placed upon the Immigration Commission because of his political connection with the university. I pause parenthetically to remark that my colleague from that district. Mr. JoaN W. DWIOHT. can carry the district in which Cornell University is located if all the professors of Cornell University together should go out and work against him. Now. here Is the serious charge: I am advised that the chairman held no meetings of the commission for making out the programme of the work of their trip until forced to do so by Senator Latimer three weeks after their arrival In Rome. and that he was only !--duced to have a meeting of the commission for that purpose at that time because of the Senators threat to return home on the next steamer and inform the press. and the Government on the floor of the Senate. that the commission Intended merely to delay immigration investigations. The gentleman from Arkansas says that this is on information and belief. Whoever told the gentleman from Arkansas that told him a wicked. cruel. malicious. deliberate lie.