Speech #620139325

Mir. President. the Senator from North Carolina fell into one error when he said that the Immigration Commission unanimously recommended an increase in the head tax. What the commission did was this: AfLer recommending that some measure should be adopted to restrict a certain class. the least desirable class. of immigrants coming to America. the commission said: Tie following methods of restricting immigration have been suggestedAnd then they gave the list. and occurring in that list appears what the Senator read as to the head tax. They did not recomlmend it. What they did do was to say. after suggesting all these different methods by which it might possibly be done: A majority of the commission favor the reading and writing test as the most feasible single method of restricting undesirable Immigration. So the commission never have recommended an increase of the head tax. I want to make only one suggestion in connection with this matter. I will not detain the Senate. The head tax was originally laid in order to provide a tevenue which would be sufficient to enforce the immigration laws of the United States. The rate now established by law is amply sufficient for that purpose. By the report of the commissioner general for the year 1911 it appears that it not only provided for all the expenses of administering the immigration laws. but left an excess of $1.OSO.000. So as a revenue producer no increase in the head tax is required. Individually I may say as a member of the commission that I was very much opposed to attempting to restrict immigration by the imposition of a head tax for the reason that it will prevent the coming of families. I have no faith whatever that we can increase the head tax $6 on every person -coming without getting an increase in the rates charged by the steamship companies.