Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-14

!" ASHINGTON, Dec ia report
w on steerage conditions based on
information obtained by special
agents of the immigration commission
travelling as steerage passengers on
different transatlantic steamers, was
made public today through presenta-
tion to the senate with recommended
tions for legislation toward better
conditions.
Conditions found in many of these
vessels are described as appalling.
The general report of the commission
contains the reports of individuals Civ
ing their experiences on board steam
ships where they were as stcerage
passengers. A woman agent who was
insulted and compelled TO withstand
repulsive privations said:
I'm those twelve days in the steer
age / lived in disorder and in sur
roundings that offended every sense.
Only the fresh breeze from the sea
overcame the sickening Odors.
THE vile language of the men, the
screams OF the women defending them
selves, the crying of children, wretched
because of their surroundings espe-
cially, every sound that reached the
cars, irritated beyond endurance. There
was no sight before which the eye did
not prefer to close.
Everything was dirty, sticky and
dsagreeable to the touch. Every i'm
preston was offensive. Worse than
this was the general aid to immortality.
For fifteen hours each day / witnessed
all around me this improper, indecent
and forced mingling of men and wo-
men, who were total strangers ana
often did not understand one word of
the same language. People cannot
live in such surroundings and not be
influenced"
Further Revelations
The woman agent had told of the
mingling of the crew with women of
the steerage and said the same was
true OF the men steerage passengers
with the women.
Agents of the immigration commits
sion say that on many steamships men
stewards and members of the crew as
we'll as male steerage passengers crowd
into the compartments set aside for
the women and constantly pass
through the passageWay of such com
partments so that no woman in the
steerage "had a moments privacy
Members of the crew." said one
woman agent, never failed to deal
woman passenger a blow when she
was found standing on the framework
of a lower berth to get anything from
an upper berth. If a woman was
dressing they always stopped to watch
her and frequently hit and handled
her
lone night the chief steerage stew
ard entered our compartments. but, not
noticing me, approached a Polish girl.
who was apparently the only occu-
pant. She spoke in Polish, saying,
NV head aches; please go on and let
me alone but he continued and soon
was insulting her. The girl, weakened
by seasickness, defended herself as
best she could, but soon was struggling
to get out of the mans arms. Just
then other passengers entered and he
released her."
Repelled Advances
The writer tells OF repelling ad-
Vances on the part Of the crew and
stewards with a hard, unexpected blow
in the offenders face. She says:
"The manner in which the sailors,
stewards. firemen and others mingled
with the women passengers was thor
oughly revolving. The language and
the topics of their conversation were
vile. Their comments about the wo-
men. and made in their presence, were
coarse"
Concerning other conditions in the
old type Of steerage which still exists
on many steamships, agents OF the
commission are just as severe. In the
introduction to the report it is stated:
''The universal needs of space, air,
food sleep and privacy are recognized
to the degree now made compulsory by
law. Beyond that, the persons carried
are looked upon as so much freight,
with mere transportation as their only
due"
The sleeping quarters are described
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