Speech #640260999

We have not had enough medical inspectors- and those on duty have not had adequate facilities for their work. Thus it has come about that. in spite of our law prohibiting the admission of Insane andi mentally defective aliens. our institutions have.been filling.up with just these people. The new bill extends from three to five years the period during which allens.may. be deported.who at the time of entry belonged to one or more- of the excluded classes. who have become public charges from causes existing prior to landing.. knd of some other groups. This extension of the deportation period has been urged. year in and year out. by heads of institutions who have had to do with dependent. defective. and delinquent aliens. by organized charitable societies. and. perhaps most strongly. by the former Commissioner of Immigration at the port of New York. the [en. William Williams. whose thorough. sane and Illuminating study of the whole Immigration problem has contributed greatly to our understanding of the subject. It is the conviction of all the unprejudiced experts who have studied this problem that a fiveyear deportation period would relieve our penal and charitable institutions. of an enormous financial burden. reaching into the millions of dollars. and would rid our communities of large numbers of defectives who otherwise would remain here. many of them a burden upon State or city. and many of them starting long lines of defective and delinquent children. The new bill strengthens the provisions of existing law regarding the "whiteslave " traffic. makes the inspection of steerage .quarters more thorough. compels steamship companies. when deporting aliens. to give such aliens as good quarters as those for which they paid on the voyage to this country. makes possible the expulsion from the country of alien anarchists and criminals. even when they have become such after entry. and in many other ways provides for the welfare of the alien as well as for the welfare of the United States. Gentlemen have talked here about the South wanting this legislation. as if the South alone wanted it. Mr.