The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-12-17
P0RTRAyS LIFE
IN STEERACE
Woman Agent Of immigration
Commission Exposes Horrors
WOMEN ARE BADLY TREATED

Men Invade Women's Quarters, Using
Vile Language and Otherwise In
suIting Passengers-Revolting Con-
duct Of Sailors, Stewards and Fire
men-44ighIy Unsanitary Conditions
Where Passengers Cross Ocean
Washing ton, Dec. IA report
On stssrass conditions based on infor-
knation obtained By special agents OF
the immigration commission travelling
BIS stserage passengers on different
transatlantic steamers was made pub
Tic through presentation to the senate
with recommendations for Legislation
to better conditions.
Conditions found on many of thess
vessels are described as appalling,
notwithstanding in some instances the
letter OF the law was obeyed implicit
ly. This regard for the law, how
ever, failed to bring about the desired
reforms.
The general report of the commits
sion contains reports of individual
agents giving their experiences on
board steamships, where they posed
as steeraSe passengers. Summing uE
one such trip, a woman agent of the
immigration commission, who was
herself miserably insulted and COM
PEELED to withstand privations which
,Icirr IN,
During those twelve days in the
steerage' | lived in a disorder and in
surroundings that offended every
sense. Only the fresh breeze from
the sea oVercame the sickening doors.
The vile language of the men, the
screams of the women defending
themselves. the crying OF children.
wretehsd because of their surround
ings, and practically every SOUND
that reached the ears irritated beyond
endurance There was no sight be-
fore which the eye did not prefer te
slose.
Everything was dirty, sticky and
disagrssabls TO the touch. Every i'm
preston was offensive. Worse than
this was the general condition every |
where. For fifteen hours each day
witnessed all around me this i'm
proper, indecent and forced minglins
of mes and women who were total
strangers and often did not under
sta1aa word or the same language.
People cannot I've I'm such surround
angs and not be influenced"
The woman agent has described the
OF the crew with the women
Of the steerage. and said that the
same conditions were true OF the as
ISOLATION Of the men stssrags passsn-
gers with the women.
The women agents Of the commits
sion say that the womsn's compsrt-
ments In which they were Quartered
had bat one entrance and exit, so that
there could be no good excuse for the
constant appearance OF the men. II
is said that during the hour preced-
ing the breakfast bell, while the wom-
en- were rising and dressing, several
men usually passed through and re-
turned for no ostensible reasons. {
One night when | was retiring very
early with a severe cold, the chief {
steerags steward entered our compart- {
ment, says one woman agent. but !
not noticing me, approached a Polish I
girl, who was apparently the only oc-
cupant. 1
she spoke in Polish, saying: My
head aches-please go on and let me s
alone But he continued and soon !
was insulting her. The girl, weak
ened by seasickness. defended herself /
as best she could. Just then other a
entered and he released c
her. Such was the man VINO was our t
highest protector and court of APP
peal.
Describing further how women
Storage passengers were compelled {
10 submit to insults the report says OF
The passage just referred to that not
1ne young woman in the steerage es- o
capped attack. The writer herself was il
no exception. and tells of repelling o
advances on the part of the crew and fl
with a hard, unexpected Il
blow in the offenders face. She p
Says: a
The manner in which the sailors,
stewards, firemen and others mingled f
With the women passengers was thor 6,
,ughly revolving. Their language anC l.
he topics of their conversation were B
lie. Their comments about the al
and made in their presence. W
we're coarse. What was far worse
nd Of continual occurrence was theh
Iandling of the women and girls. ..
'ome Of the crew took all manner o. -
This woman reports that on many
teamers so inadequate are toilet ar :. :,
angements that women are obliged -
D use their soup plates for wash !"
asins.
Concerning other conditions In the
ID type steerage, which still exists a
q many OF the steamships. the 90
gents cf the commission are Just az III
svers 10