Speech #700052874

I have here a statement which I will ask permission to place in the RECORD. showing the number of automobiles seized under the prohibition laws and their disposition. You will find that the Customs Service and the prohibition officials receive many of these seized automobiles. They drive out in these districts right alongside of immigration inspectors who have Fords or Chevrolets paid for at full price by the Government. The average price of automobiles sold at auction is $104 each. In other words. those machines that are practically junk are sold and those that are good are kept for two of the services. and when we undertake to bring in a bill which would allow them to be transferred to the Immigration Service we find that the coordinating service in the Bureau of the Budget has been trying to write a bill of its own and that ours is said to be against the financial program. I made further inquiry. and how do you suppose they bring it in conflict with the financial program? They say a certain service has the use of seized autonmbiles. and therefore they must have gas. and if they buy gas it costs money. and if it costs money then it is in opposition to the Presidents program. But the Immigration Service is allowed by law to buy a limited number of new automobiles. They do buy them. and they have to buy gas. and that costs money. which comes out of the lunipsun appropriation for the Immigration Service. That service runs short every year. which causes it to do what it is doing right nowmark time. slow down. discontinue arrests for wanit of money to del)drt. Incidently. let me say that the officers of the Labor Department are not very keen about this bill to let then have a few secondhand seized cars. after the Treasury Department has had Its pick for itself and has sold the salable ones for $104 each. . Mr. Speaker. in conclusion let me say that if the Members of the House knew how the protective service of the Immigration Bureau is breaking down they woull demand immediately the passage of a bill to remedy the situation. For instance. take the El Paso district. composed of several hundred miles along the Texas border from El Paso west. and including all of the State of Arizona. This one district is allowed $50.000 a year for deportation purposes. except steamship fares. and this $50.000 is divided into quarters and each quarter must last three months. This district now has no money under its allotment to hold hearings. as required by law. in the cases of aliens arrested for deportation. no money even to hold them overnight in jail. What is the result? The Immigration Service arrests certain alienspossibly criminals or insanethen turns heni loose. and after July 1. when they get some money from the new appropriation. will try to pick them up again. Is this economy? No. it is wasting money. The district at Helena. Mont.. covering a wide area on the northern border. is allowed $150 a month for deportation purposes. It has one inspector to go out over that great district. If he travels he is allowed $6 a day and if lie is out 10 days lie uses up $60 of the monthly allotment and uses railroad fare in addition.