He does not go on board the vessel until after the passengers are off. and therefore he is not able to. certify as to the conditions of cleanliness and matters of that sort. This ought to be a practical bill i and in practice in the port of New York and also in the port of Philadelphia.. and. I do not know but in- other ports. the immigrant inspectors go down the bay. get on the boat. and come up to the landing on the vessel. While they are looking over the emigrants they have time to do one other thing. and only one thing of value.. and that is to see whether the vessel is cleanly kept. well kept. and whether conditions are such that human beings ought to be there. Now. if they could be given authority to report that. something worth while would be done. but. und6r this amendment. you are putting on them a duty that they can not ever perform. The customs inspector can not take aboard a vessel carrying 1.200 people his measuring rod and his diagrams and measure the ship and see if it has the correct anount of cubic space that is required by section 1 of the passenger act. Therefore while by concentrating his attention the immigrant inspector might be required to do a useful thing. you nre compelling him to certify whether such vessels conform in their arrangements to the requirements of the passenger act approved August 2. 1882. and anmendments thereto. He does not know. He can not find out. It is not his business.. and there is a danger about it. The customs inspector will say. " Well. the last voice of Congress is that the immigrant inspector shall do thi.. Heretofore I have been doing it. but if Congress wants the immigrant inspector to do it. let him do it." The immigrant inspector is not on the vessel at a time when he can do it. because as soon as the vessel docks lie goes with the imniigrants down to Ellis Island or the similar place at some other port.
Keywords matched
immigrant emigrants