Speech #640068267

For my part. wq do not want them. As I said the other day. it is not because I have any feeling against them personally. nationally. or in a religious way. but it is because there are too many of them here now. and we want more work and better wages for Americans. I wish to answer the assertions of several speakers who have said that existing law is sufficient to keep out the defective. dependent. and delinquent classes of aliens by inserting the expert opinions of the present commissioner of immigration at Boston. Hon. Henry J. Skeffington. and of Hon. William Williams. for years commissioner of immigration at Ellis Island. New York City. the conclusions of the congressional immigration commission. as shown by. House Document 1489. Sixtieth Congress. and the brief twopage statement of tile United States Bureau of Immigration in its last annual report. enumerating about 50 reasons why the Burnett bill should become law. The statement of the United States commissioner of immigration at Boston. Mr. Skeffington. is to be found in the Boston Daily Advertiser of January 28. 1916. less than two months ago. and is as follows: How alien labor has gradually replaced American labor in this country and the consequent need of some restriction on Immigration. the need of a largely increased force of officials to guard the Canadian border. the need of a new immigration station at this port. and the acknowledgment of little activity in suppressing the whiteslave industry. owing to lack of funds and men. are told by Henry J. Skeffington. commissioner of immigration at this port. in touching recitals of actual experiences and cases coming up at the local station in reviewing the work of the local office for 1915. Tie annual report did not contain many features which were submitted to the Washington officials. extracts from which Mr. Skeffington made public last evening. Commissioner Skeffington said In part: " One of the notable effects of our present immigration policy is seen In the gradual change of the character 6f population. The unrestricted inflow of immigrants directly tends to drive out the native stock. which obviously is unable to compete with those maintaining a lower standard of living. In Massachusetts the proportion of native stock gradually has diminished. In part through emigration to other States. but largely by failure on accouht of economic causes to reproduce Itself. A similar decline has beg n among those races that made up the bulk of our immigration duriig the greater part of the last century. "Tie foreign element of the population of Massachusetts. according to otatistics. constitutes more than 60 per cent of the total population. These figures suggest the price that is being paid for unrestricted immigralon. " Because we see the necessity of restricting innigration. we hope the literacy test or some equally effective measure wilI be passed by the next Congres. " The history of the immigration station at Boston affords a fine Illustration of the unfortunate effects of the prevailing system. It is the business of Congress to say what amount shall be spent for the maintenance of this service. but the result of congressional dictation as to means and ways of spending the amount appropriated is shown in the experience of Boston. the second port in the country. which has been compelled year after year to put up with a station that by unanimous assent is a disgrace to the Government and a menace to the health and life of those who are unfortunate enough to abide in it. " It is notable that other ports. some in the third and fourth class. and none in the class with Boston. have been provided with ample facilities. and in some cases with building and equipment years in advance of the actual demand for their use. The walls. partitions. and ceilings of matchboards of the local station have become hopelessly infested with insect life. The local army of vermin which comes out at night to forage on the inmates of the dormitories is reenforced by new Installments or detachments of bugs and lice brought into the station with every arriving ship. and immigrants who may be free from vermin when they airive at the station are likely soon to become infested from their associations there. "The fallacy of basing a curtailment of the office force on the redctions in immigration is illustrated by the record of warrant cases in this district. which shows an Increase over the year 1914 of more tiin 40 per cent. " Suppression of the whiteslave traffic is aimed at by local city authorities. and appears to be fairly successful. For anything like adequate control. however there should be an organized plan of teamwork between Federal. State. and city authorities. in which each member of the team might be given specific duties. One of the duties of the immigration officials under such a working program would be a constant and vigilant espionage of the rendezvous of the immoral classes. Such a plan at the present time would be especially effective. in view of the large numbers of women and girls who are believed to have arrived from eastern Canada as a result of stringent regulations. enforced by the Dominion authorities. " One of the serious handicaps to the enforcemnit of the immigration law is found In the lack of practical cooperation between this department and the Department of Justice. The more or less constant delays arising in the conduct of cases that eventually go before the courts are not only disheartening to responsible immigration officials but extremely detrimental to successful administration of important provisions of the immigration law. The steamship companies naturally complain because of the excessive expenses incidental to the long periods of detention to which the aliens involved are subjected. Ilere. again. the system rather than individuals must be criticized. " Evidence continues to accumulate in favor of higher and higher standards of medical inspection of immigrants. Of 334 alien rest. dents who were reported by State officials in New England as public charges on account of mental or physical conditions existing prior to landing. very few received medical certificates of any sort at the time of arrival. These publiccharge cases related largely to conditions whose demonstration at the time of arrival calls for careful timeconsuming mental examinations or organized laboratory work. facilities for which have been conspicuous by their absence." The statement of the United States Commissioner of Immigration at New York City. Mr. William Williams. who served in that capacity longer than any other man and was recently succeeded by the present commissioner. Mr. Howe. being appointed by Mayor Mitchel to the high office of commissioner of water supply. gas. and electricity. is to be found in one of his annual reports. and similar statements can be found in each of his many annual reports. It is as follows: The present laws do not reach a large body of immigrants who are generally undesirable because unintelligent. of low vitality. poor physique. able to perform only the cheapest kind of labor. desirous of settling almost exclusively in the cities. by their competition tending to reduce the standard of living of the American wageworker. and unfitted either mentally or morally for good citizenship. It would be quite impossible to accurately state what proportion of last years inmigration should be classified as undesirable. I believe that at least a third came here last year who. although they may be able to earn a living. yet are not wanted and will be of no benefit to time country. and will. on the contrary. be a detriment. because their presence will tenid to lower our standards. Their coining has been a benefit chiefly. If not only. to the transportation companies which brought them over. The very brief findings of the congressional Immigration Commission. composed of three Members of this House. three of the Senate. and three other distinguished men. and embracing andi characterizing all the mass of evidence later published in tile commissions 40volume report. is. according to House Document No. 1489. Sixtieth Congress. reported to this House by Congressman WILLIAM S. BENNET. of New York City. and again a Meinber of this House. is as follows: Many undeniably undesirable persons are admitted every year. There is a dangerous and apparently growing criminal element in the country due to immigration. Many women are being regularly imported under conditions which amount to absolute slavery. It is generally admitted by those acquainted with the subject that. notwithstanding the fact that the present law proposes to provide for the exclusion of every undesirable immigrant. many undeniably undesirable persons are admitted every year. The commissions inquiries concerning defective and delinquent classes show this fact very ci early. and in a way which. it isbelieved. wil be thoroughly understood and appreciated. In theory the law debars criminals. but in fact many enter. the law debars persons likely to become public charges. but data secured by the commission show that too many immigrants become such within a short time after landing. The same is true of other classes nominally. at least. debarred by the law. In short. the law in theory. so far as its exclusion provisions are concerned. is exceptionally strong. but in effect it Is. in some respects. weak and ineffectual.