Speech #620231007

Speaker. reserving the right to object to the present consideration of this bill. I desire to say that I am doing so. not for any reason that I have any objection to the bill itself. but simply for the purpose of saying a few words about the report accompanying the bill. As you will notice. the bill providesThat it shall be unlawful for any person. including any transportation company other than railway lines entering the United States from foreign contiguous territory. or the owner. master. agent. or consignee of any vessel to bring to the United States any alien suject to any of. the following disabilities : Idiots. imbeciles. epileptics. insane persons. or persons afflicted with tuberculosis or with a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease. and If It shall appear to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor that any alien so brought to the United States was afflicted with any of the said diseases or disabilities at the time of foreign embarkailon and that the existence of such disease or disability might have been detected by means of a competent medical examination at such time. such person or transportation comnany. or the master. agent. owner. or consignee of any such vessel shall pay to the collector of customs of the customs district in which the port of arrival Is located the sum of $200 for each and every violation of the provisions of this sectionand notwithstanding the fact that I am against any additional unreasonable restrictive immigration legislation. I wish to go on record in favor of this bill and am desirous of informing the membership of this House that I am not opposed to any bill which honestly aims to protect our country from* the criminal. the insane. or those suffering from loathsome. dangerous. or contagious diseases. or legislation which aims to protect our country from gross negligence on the part of the steamship companies. And right here I desire to state that the people I have the honor of representing and those for whom I at times speak are not opposed to any legislation which tends ill the right direction nor to legislation which actually may protect us from really objectionable immigration and which might be detrimental to the welfare of our country. And I feel confident that they. as well as myself. are as desirous as any professional and capitalmaking individual of keeping out the idiot. the imbecile. the epileptic. insane persons. persons suffering from tuberculosis or with loathsome. dangerous. or contagious diseases. or others that are actually undesirable. What I take exception to is the unfai r and unwarranted report accompanying this bill. which. on page 2. embodies a part of a report of the New York State Board of Alienists for the year 1911. and reads as follows: It must be remembered that foreign countries look with favor upon the emigration to America of diseased and defective persons. Examination by American officials at the ports of embarkation in Europe hos been strenuously opposed by certain foreign Governments. and it is a notorious fact. commented upon In every annual report of the Commissioner General of Immigration. that the steamship companies make only the most perfunctory medical examination of passengers upon their departure for America. Thus there are no obstacles In the way of diseased persons embarking for this country. In the case of those returning. however. the conditions are reversed. The passengers are carefully scrutinized by ships surgeons at tile gangway. as they embark at the port of New York. and those who do not satisfy the steamship officials or the representatives of foreign Governments stationed on such ships are peremptorily refused passage. even although they have been only a short time away from the countries to which they still owe allegiance. Cases hre not decided individually. upon their merits. but as soon as it is learned that an applicant for passage has been in an institution for the ifsane he is at once rejected. It can be seen that. with an unimpeded flow of inferior immigrants to this country. and with an outflow which Is so carefully regulated that only the prosperous and sound can return. we must ultimately become the asylum for an increasing number of those unable to sustain themselves. Now. Mr.