Speech #660330957

I have. and I shall be glad to refer to it if I have the time a little later. According to the testimony before the Senate Immigration Comittee about 100 ships are now engaged in this traffic. According to the testimony of some witnesses they can not bring more than 800.000 or 1.000.000 per year. but the carriage of this traffic. like every other. expands with the demands of the business. I read from the statement of the Immigration Commission appointed in 1907. which devoted years of study to this subject and made a report Jalong nonpartisan lines. Speaking of the increase of immigration after the War of 1812 and the increased shipping drawn into the traffic by the increase in profitable business: Upon the increased demand for transportation to the United States following the close of the second war with England many vessels which had originally been constructed solely for the purpose of transporting freight were hurriedly transposed into immigrant ships that they might enjoy some of the profits of the business that had become lucrative. This. with the fact that excessive overcrowding had been practiced on all vessels. rendered the condition of emigrants at sea almost unbearable. (Report Immigration Commission. vol. 2. p. 590.) I have before me a statement of the Commissioner of Immigration at Ellis Island in answer to an inquir made by me in which he says: I have been advised that there are a number of passengercarrying vessels in course of construction. but have nothing very definite upon this point. Several lines are about to inaugurate new service. or have only recently done so. for Instance. the Royal Mail Steamship Co. Is to commence service between this port and Hamburg. the Baltic .teamship Co. only a few months ago started service between New York and Danzig.- As yet It has only one vessel in operation. but I understand negotiations are under way for two or three more.