Speech #700189407

I think that Is about right. I would like to make as brief a statement as I can as to the necessity for the major part of this legislation. This has been a great problem in the naturalization office. the Department of Labor. and in Congress for many years. In the old days it was the socalled nunc pro tunc process. For years many efforts were made to put riders on bills to take care of a situation that seemed unhandleable. If you will examine the naturalization law of June 29. 1906. made at a time when the Immigration Service was not a great bureau. you will find that the naturalization provision in the first paragraph provided that the Bureau of Naturalization. under the direction and control of the Secretary. shall have charge of all matters concerning naturalization of aliens. and that it shall be the duty of the Bureau of Immigration to do certain things. What? To provide for the use of the various immigration stations throughout the United States books and records wherein the Commissioner of Immigration shall cause a registry to be made in the case of each alien arriving in the United States. personal description. and so forth. intended place of residence. and the date of arrival of said alien. and if entered through a port. the name of vessel in which he came. and it shall be the duty of said Commissioner of Immigration to cause to be granted to such alien a certificate of such registry with the particulars thereof. In thousands and thousands of cases this was not done.