Mr. Chairman. the point of this amendment is very obvious. it is to make the violation of the law not only. include transportation companies at sea but also the railroad companies of the United States. It is a wellknown fact that the railroad companies assist the steamship companies in the matter of soliciting immigration and pay money by way of rebates out of the fares they collect for carrying immigrants for that purpose. The reports before the Interstate Commerce Commission. or at least to congressional committees. will disclose the fact that the transportation companies have done that sort of thing in the past and it is. to my mind. very much more important that this encouraging of immigration should be stopped than to restrict and keep out men who of their own volition desire to come here to make homes for themselves in this country. I think the policy of this bill which concentrates its force against the coming in of immigrants themselves rather than concentrating its force against the corporations of this country who induce the immigration is all wrong. I am as much opposed as any man could be to an unnatural. unhealthy immigration brought about by misleading advertisements. by false words spoken by agents. and by promises held out by transportation companies. and by exploiting corpora tions. and I will go as far as any man to stop that evil practice. but this section. as it is now. does not touch one of the most flagrant violators of the law. and that is the railroad companies of the United States who pay back to the steamship. companies delivering immigrants to them for transportation so much per head upon every immigrant they so deliverat the port of landing in this country. Now. then. why not. I ask the chairman of the committee. why not incorporate into this sectionand if my language is not felicitous enough to do it properly let the committee itself put in an amendment. so as to include the railroad corporations and stop them also from promoting immigration. It is known that the railroadtrans portation interests in this country really pay the salaries of the soliciting agents in the end. Therefore.
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immigrants immigration immigrant