Speech #680116481

Mr. ltAKEI. I decline to yield. if the gentleman please. Section 3 of the bill as it now stands. subdivision 5. does not include a seaman as an immigrant. and therefore the seaman can come to the country under that provision identically as he can come under the act of 1917. Section 1). to which the gentleman referred in regard to seamen. is the provision of section 18 of the original bill. and I say unquestionably to the Memlbers of the House that the language of section 18now section 19 of the billis the same as section 32 of the immigration act of 1917. with this exception: Ii t1w former act of 1917 the act describes the treaties and various laws. This act says " hmigration laws." and " immigration laws " in the definitions are described and they are identically the same. Under the act of 1.91.7. section 32. a vessel entering a port of the United States could unload her seamen on board. diseased and otherwise. unless a written notice was given it. and the consequence was they unloaded them by wholesale before the immigration officer could inspect them. The district attorney of New York stated that. and on investigation we found that if we required the vessel to keep on board the seamen until examination was made. then those that were admissible would be permitted to enter and those that were not would not land or enter. So under the provisions of section 20 of the present bill it provides that no vessel shall be permitted to land any seamen until examination hs been made by tile Health Service and the Bureau of Immigration for the purpose of ultimately determining who shall land. If lie does. if he lets them steal away. if any otlicer connives with them and they get off the steamship. lie is fined $1.000. So every man will be on board when the examination is made. and if the seamen under the law is not diseased. lie will be permitted to land.