Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-06
COMMITTEE HOME
Senators Who Went Abroad 10 Study the Question of Re
 strictiOn of Immigration
TOKEEP OUTCRIMINALS

l SrdClOn SlCudLlOn dnrOau WHICH car
 ried them through England and con
 tinental Europe, the members of the
 subcommittee of the, United States
 immigration commission, with Sena l tor William P. Dillingham; of Yer | mont as chairman, arrived here or
 board the White Star steamship Ced
 ric. Some of the members of the com. | mission are still in Europe completing | their investigations. The members o1
 the committee returning to-day were Senator Dillingham; of Vermont, Sena.
 tor Asbury c. Latimer of South Caro-
 lima ,Congressmen Benjamin r. How.
 ell of New Jersey, John L. Burnett
 of Alabma and Secretary Morton
 B. Crane. The members have obtain.
 ed much data which they believe will
 aid in solving many of the immigra.
 tion problems now confronting the United States. The whole committed
 will meet later and prepare report
 and recommends! ions which will be submitted to congress. Senator Dill lingham, on his arrival here to-day
 made the following statement on the
 investigation of immigration condi- tions abroad:
 "The subcommittee has visited
 every European country from which
 we receive any considerable number
 of immigrants, and has studied the
 more important phases of the question
 in each. Italy was the first country visited and after pursuing investiga-
 tions in the southern provinces the
 subcommittee was divided. Senator
 Latimer and Representatives How
 ell and Burnett took charge of the in-
 vestigation in northern Italy, Switz-
 erland, France, Germany. the Nether-
 lands, Belgium, Scotland and Ireland.
 Representative Bennett proceeded to
 Greece, Turkey. Syria. Asia Minor,
 Palestine and Roumania, while Com
 missioner Wheeler and myself gave at
 tention to the work in Austria, Hun
 gary. Russia and England. Senator
 Latimer, MT Howell and Mir Bennett
 also visited various Russian points
 and Commissioner Wheeler spent
 some time in Sweden and Denmark.
 The latter is now in England en- gagged in some special features of the
 work there and on the continent. In conducting their investigations abroad the commissioners gave special atten- ton to the methods employed by the transportation companies in handling emigrants, the effect of the United States immigration laws upon Euro- pean emigration and the attitude of the various countries towards their subjects to other lands. The question of preventing the coming of criminal classes into the United States has been chief subject of investigation by the subcommittee and it is probable that important recommendations on this matter will be made to congress.
 "The subject of emigration is a paramount one in most of the coun- tries we have visited and in most of them the attitude towards emigra- tion is not favorable. The constant and long continued drain upon the rural population, from which class the great majority of emigrants come and the general prosperity which now prevails has produced scarcity of farm labor and, it is claimed, the agricultural industry is suffering in consequence. Be- cause of this scarcity of labor the condition of those remaining at home has to a degree been improved, but the general condition is causing much alarm among land owners and a strong sentiment against emigra- ton has developed A very large of male emigrants leave their native countries at time when they are liable to military service here and this constitutes a strong objection to such emigrants On the it is true that, in some parts of Europe at least, emigration. is not its attending benefit and this is recognized and considered For example, there is a decided tendency on the part of aliens of certain nationalities to send back to their native countries a large part of their earnings in the United States. The total amount of money thus transferred each year is enor- nous and the greater part of it goes to countries where it is much needed and therefore highly appre- ciated- Added to this is a desire on the part of nearly all the seaboard countries of Europe to build up marine and as the carrying of emigrants is in many cases es- sential to the success of such enter Drises, the attitude of such govern nents toward emigration is affected forces that control the situation in Europe to-day, and the trend of af- iairs indicates that more attention md greater supervision of emigra- ion on the part of the countries | most concerned will result. The thief causes of emigration from Europe. are widespread knovledge hat labor is more generously re- Tarded in America than at home. he advice and financial assistance ,f relatives and friends who have already emigrated. and the persist l mt activity of agents selling steam l hip tickets who are to be found all l ,ver Europe despite the fact that l goliciting emigration is prohibited I ,y the law in nearly every European I ,ountry and by our own emigration l avs
 During the tour of inquiry and the commissioners l ave secured important fnformztioa md have made arrangements to se- are more and feel confident that be-