Speech #710281707

Mr. President. I invite the attention of the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations to page 115 of the bill. where an item of $10.617.740 is carried for the Immigration Bureau. I am amazed at the enormous amount asked for this bureau. and an examination of the bill reveals that unprecedented sums are carried for many other bureaus and organizations. In my opinion. the appropriations are beyond the limits of prudence and are indeed unwarranted. In 1922 the Immigration Bureau received only $3.149.200. although the number of immigrants for that year was perhaps eight or nine times as great as it is today. that is to say. there were eight or nine times as many immigrants coming into the United States then as will enter during this year. and the number that will enter during the fiscal year for which this bill provides will be very much less. In 1923. $3.512.230 was appropriated for the Immigration Bureau. though it had to deal with at least ten times as many immigrants as will require its attention during the fiscal year 1932. The latest official information shows that immigration is scarcely a problem. because the present law. as interpreted and administered. reduces the number of persons admitted to our shores to a very small number. My information is that the number of immigrants for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1931. will be considerably less than 50.000. If I am in error my friend the Senator from Pennsylvania will correct me. For the coming fiscal year there will be. in my opinion. less than 25.000 immigrants. It should be stated in this connection that more aliens are departing from our shores than are entering the United States. Mr. President. I have a statement showing the appropriations each year following the year last mentioned. 1923. evidencing a gradual increase until this year. as I have indicated. $10.617.740 are demanded. In 1922. when more than a million immigrants entered the United States. $3.149.000 were appropriated to cover all the activities of that important bureau of the Government. The expansion of this bureau and the vast increase in its machinery can not. in my opinion. be warranted. With immigration now limited to considerably less than 150.000 persons per annum it seems incredible that there should be such an enormous increase in the amount needed for this organization. Mr. President. while I am speaking about increases in appropriations I invite attention to the fact that this bill carries appropriations totaling millions of dollars in excess of the appropriations for the same service in any preceding year.