Speech #730107365

I concede that this bill has been here in one form or another for nearly 15 years. Many praiseworthy efforts have been made by organized labor through that game old intrepid gladiator who sits in yonder galleryAndrew Furuseth. president of the Seamens Union of Americato secure this legislation. I am. indeed. pleased that I have a chance for the first time to favor the adoption of this bill on the floor of this House. because up to this session. contrary to statements of my learned colleague from New York . the bill never was reported by the former Chairman of the Committee on Immigration. Mr. Johnson. who was an ardent restrictionist. Whenever we had the bill up in our committee he would invariably find many excuses for not reporting it to the House. So for nearly 10 years. although a majority of the Committee on Immigration was in favor of the bill. we never could get consideration of it on the floor of the House. I think this bill has been carefully studied and prepared and that it deserves the support of each and every Member of the House. Most of you gentlemen know me. I am not one of those who can be classified as a restrictionist. but I have always been for liberal and sane restrictive immigration measures. I have always been opposed to people coming into the country in violation of law. I would oppose any unreasonably restrictive bill. but after a bill has been enacted and becomes a law it binds all good citizens and should be enforced. The gentleman from Texas who introduced this bill. and whose name it bears. states that we have more than half a million deserter seamen in this country. I think he has been misled in his youthful enthusiasm as to the number. but I do not believe that we have a large number herepossibly 50.000illegally. and who ought to be deported. They should not have been permitted to enter. The statement of the gentleman from Virginia that the number is only nominalabout 1.100is also erroneous. because the reports received by the Department of Labor are only those from the masters of the vessels. and we know the practice of some of the largest lines that are in the habit of bringing in an extra hundred or two hundred men. unloading them here. and then going back with a normal crew.