The Grit-advocate., 1905-12-29
Congressman Bonynge is Busy Pre-
pairing Needed Legislation.

ed representative from this district.
Hon. Robert W. Bonynge, are two
which are worthy of special mention.
One of these is a bill to enable Presi-
dent Roosevelt to call an internation-
al conference for the purpose OF Sc
curing an International agreement rel
alive to the regulation of the emigra-
tiOn of aliens to the United States. The
bill has been introduced in the house
and has been referred to the
committee on foreign affairs Mr..
Bonynge will appear before the com
mittee and argue in favor of report
on it and will use all of the influence
he can command in favor of its pas
sage.
The bill authorizes the president to
call, in his discretion, an internaticn-
al conference at such point as may be
agreed upon ''for the purpose of reg
ulating by international agreement.
the emigration OF aliens to the United
States; providing for the mental, NOR
ll and physical examination of such
nliens by American consuls or other
officers of the United States govern
ment at the port of cmbarkation: to
secure the assistance of foreign gov
ernments in their own territories to
prevent the evasion of the laws of the
United States governing immigration
Into the United States: to enter into
such International agreements as may
be necessary or proper to prevent the
migration of aliens who, under the
laws of the United States, are exclud-
ed from entering the United States: to
prohibit, by International agreement
the rendering of assistance by foreign
governments, municipalities, societies
or corporations to the emigration of
aliens to the United States and in gen.
eral to enter into any and all interna-
tional agreements for the regulation
OF all matters pertaining to such emi-
grafton"
The president. under the provisions
of the bill, is authorized to appoint
five commissioners to this conference,
but if he thinks better results can be
obtained, he is empowered to appoint
special ENJOYS to visit foreign .coun-
tries and negotiate agreements with
them. To carry out the provisions of
the act, an appropriation of $50, 900. 90
is made.
This bill is right in line with the
recommendations made by President
Roosevelt in his recent message to
congress. In touching upon the i'm
migration question, the president
said;
ut seems to me wise that there
should be an international conference
held to deal with this question of i'm
migration, which has more than a
merely national significance: such Il
conference could, among other things,
enter at length into the methods for
securing thorough inspection of
would-be immigrants at the ports at
which they wish to embark before per-
mitting them to embark"
Representative Bonynge has no as
surance from the leaders of congress
that his bill will be put through. as he
has not discussed the matter with
them. But he proposes to go ahead
and will do what he can to get it en-
acted into law. OF the bill he says:
''The bill has been referred to the for
eign affairs cnmmittee and after the
holidays l will appear before the com
mittee and make an argument in favor
of the passage of this bill. | have no
reason to believe that the leaders will.
be either for or against it. l have
not talked with the president on the
subject, but from what he says in his
message he will approve it,
Mr.. Bonynge has also introduced
bill amending the immigration laws so
that head tax of $1,000 will be i'm
posed upon all immigrants instead of
$500 as at present. The money raised
by this tax is to be used by the de-
partnent of commerce and labor tol
defray the expense of maintaining a
bureau of information that will have
representatives at all the important
ports of embarkation. These agents
are to distribute among
aliens coming to this country infor-
nation about the resources and eli
mate of the different sections of Amer
lea, and the needs and demands for
labor. The idea of the provision is to
secure a distribution of immigrants
and get them to go to those parts of
the country where there is demand
for their labor instead of settling in
the eastern stgtes and in the crowded
cities. The bill also excludes from
admission all aliens who are not,
mentally or physically, fit to earn
their own living, or are afflicted
with loathsome or contagious diseaS-
es, and it provides that hesds of fami-
lies having their families with them,
must have at least 5000 in money
with them.
hlrs Joseph Ottman, of Rawlins,