Speech #670400915

I think those are excellent provisions. they are in the future interest of our shipping. I not only. have no objection t.o them. but I think they ought to be enacted into law. and I have no doubt they will be enacted. into law. The next provision. proposes that 50 per cent of immigrants coming to this country shall be brought here in American. ships. That is a splendid provision. It might be made much better by providing that 100 per cent of the immigrants who. come here from abroad. who come here as a privilege which. is given to them by us. should be brought in American vessels. They ought to be examined before they reach here. and they ought to be brought here entirely in American vessels. Instead of 50 per cent of them being so brought. I should be in favor of bringing in American vessels all of the immigrants who come into this country. It would give our ships business to which our ships are entitled. There are other reasons why immigrants. ought to be brought here. in American ships. Our officers and agents should examine. them before they come to this country. As we all know. foreign ships now bring immigrants to Ellis Island in great numbers. great numbers are frequently turned back.. and the American Government has. to pay the foreign ships for taking them back. Why are they sent back? Because they have not been properly examined before they arrive here. Mr. President. why would. it not be good. business. and. why would it not be a: protection to the American people to have these examinations made by our own officers and agents before the immigrants leave the shores of Europe? We would save millions of dollars a year by pursuing that policy. By the way. it is estimated that if onehalf of the Immigrants who come to this country each year even under the present law were brought in our ships they would yield a revenue to them of something like $8.000.000. There is no reason why that can not be done. I am very much in favor of that. because it would be giving not a subsidy to our shipping interests but it would be giving passengers to our ships. furnishing them with business.