The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-17
The Emigrant Storage Passagc-Ex-
perIcncc OF u Herald Comm ission

perIcnce OF y Herald Comm issioner.
We publish to-day, in another part of the
paper q narrative of the experience of gen.
tlemen who was commissioned to take steer
age passage from Liverpool to New York for
the purpose of investigating the subject OF
emigration and treatment of emigrants on
board ship. As will be seen, he took passage
on the finest ship of the National line. the
Egypt, which carried about thousand emil
grants and WHICH has previously carried
nearly double tlAt number. This vessel is
five thousand and sixty flour tons burden and
great capacity for this business. The first
matter of interest spoken of by our correspond
ent is the extreme constituencies Of the COM
pany and its officials as to any information
getting before the public about their business
Of transporting emigrants Though he paid
his passage money. six guineas, in the usual
way he had to be very careful to make it
appear that he was a bona fde emil
grant, and not either q man of the
press or government official. The
company, having heard that the American
government was employing agents to 60 by
vessels and to secretly investigate the treat
ment of emigrants on board was on the alert
to prevent such unwelcome passengers going
on to Illustrate their object. He had, conse-
quently, TO disguise his purpose and to adapt
himself to the dress, habits and life Of the
steerage. Such sensitiveness or precaution of
H. ~. h.
treatment Of the emigrants was what it ought
to be- Evidently the company fears the
light. We are inclined to think that is the
case, too, with other steamship companies
which transport emigrants.
While there are, probably, more extreme
cases Of suffering bad management and de-
moralization on board some of the emigrant
ships than is reported on the Egypt the evils
there require notice and the attention of the
government. The bad food, the brutality of
the sailors, the indifference of the officers and
company to the comfort and welfare of the
passengers, the crowding together of both
sexes without proper separation and disci-
pline, which necessarily leads to demoraliza-
ton. and the bad management generally call
for better enforcement of the laws and more
stringent ones if needed. The details fur
nished by our commissioner will give
the government information which it may
not have obtained or cannot obtain
from its agents. Emigrants, for the
most part, are respectable, honest
and Industrious people, though poor, who
e. !, taI tote 10 A1,o:-
dition and to become valuable citizens. Yet
these people are treated as if they were dogs.
The coarse sailors continually insult and push
them about in the toughest manner. Why
should not the officers and sailors treat them
with proper respect and attention. Though
they do not pay as much for their passage as
cabin passengers they pay proportionately as
much for the food and accommodation fur
nished and afford vast profits to the steamship
companies. A man buying yard Of cloth at
store is entitled to respect as much as
another who buys six yards.
The truth is steamship companies are heart
less their grasping cupidity overcomes every
sentiment of humanity, and they manage this
emigrant business much rs the old slave
traders did the ''Middle Passage" Nor is
there any remedy for this heartlessness and
cruelty but through the government How
many millions now in the United States can
bear testimony to the evils we speak Of ard
our correspondent has in part exposed AT
the present rate of immigration the population
is being increased from that source from four
to five hundred thousand o year. These
people soon become citizens, and some OF
them or their children eminent ones.
From them good deal Of our
wealth and prosperity spring Ought We,
then, to neglect them? Ought not the gov
eminent to protect them? Should these hon.
est and industrious people, our future citizens,
be treated like dogs, or as African slaves used
to be when the slave trade fourished? The
carrying of emigrants is q vast and profitable
trade, and the soulless companies which make
enormous sums Of money out of it should be
compelled to provide comfortable quarters,
good and wholesome food and proper treat.
ment from their officers and sailors. Above
all, they should be forced to protect the morals
of the floating communities under their charge.
The federal government should undertake the
reforms needed, for immigration is q matter
of national interest. 1t ought to collect a
mass of facts bearing upon the subject by the
time of the assembling of Congress, and then
that body should pass such stringent COM
prehensive and humane law as will effectually
cure existing evils. A government that has
manifested such tender regard for the blacks
Of the South can hardly neglect the sufferings
Of the four or five hundred thousand white
people who are Arriving here yearly to replen-
ish our wealth and to become valuable citizens.
Let us have protection for the emigrants
against the cupidity Of steamship companies
and the brutality Of sailors.
PRoGREss OF THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN AGAINST