Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-15
STEERACE CONDITIONS VILE
Special Agents Travelling as Pas
sengers Report Awful Conditions.
SEXES ARE HERDED TOGETHER
Women Are Frequently Insu1ted by
Members of the Crew-Impres-
sions Are Offensive to
Every sense.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14-A report on
steerage conditions. based on Information
obtained by special agents Of the immi-
grafton committee travelling as steerage
passengers on different transatlantic
steamers was made public today through
presentation to the senate with
dations for legislation to better conditions.
Conditions found in many of these vessels
are described as appalling. The general re-
port OF the commission contains the re-
ports of individuals giving their experiences
on board steamships where they posed as
steerage passengers. A woman agent who
was herself miserably insulted and COM
PEELED to withstand repulsive privations,
said:
During these twelve lays in the steer
age l lived in a disorder and in surround.
ings that offended every sense. Only the
fresh breeze from the sea overcame the
! sickenlng odors. The vile language of the
men, the screams of, the. women defending
themselves, the crying of children.
wretched because of their surroundings. es,
peclally every sound that reached the ears,
irritated beyond endurance. There was no
sight before which the eye did not prefer TO
close.
~ SAANo q sunny anu lie
agreeable to the touch. Every impression
was offensive. Worse than this was the
general air # immortality. For fifteen
hours each day l witnessed all around me
this improper, indecent and forced mingling
of men and women, who were, total strang-
ers and often did not understand one word
of the same language. People cannot live
in such surroundings and not be influ
enced."
Members of Crew Insulting.
The woman agent had told of the ming.
ling Of the crew with the women of The
steerage and said that the same condition,
were true of the association Of men steer.
age passengers with the women.
Agents of the immigration commission
say that on many of the steamships mer
stewards and members of the crew, a.
Well as male steerage passengers, GROVE
into the compartments set aside for III,
women and pass through the passagewayi
OF such compartments so that no woman
in the steerage had a moments privacy.
Members of the crew. said one woman
agent, never failed to deal a woman
passenger a blow when she was fount
standing on the framework of a lowe
berth to get anything from an upper berth
II a woman was dressing they Away.
stopped to watch her and frequently hi
and handled her. 81
The writer tells of repelling advances Oh
the part of the crew and stewards witt
a hard, unexpected blow in the offender
face. she says;
The manner in which the sailors, stew
ards, firemen and others mingled with tn
women passengers was thoroughly revolt
ing, Their language and the topics of thel
conversation were vile. Their comment
about the women, and made in their pres
ence, were coarse"
Quarters Are vile.
Concerning other conditions in the oil
type of steerage which still exists on man
OF the steamships, the agents of the com
mission are just as severe. In the intro
duction to the report, 1t is stated:
The universal needs Of space, air, food
sleep and privacy are recognized to tn
degree now made compulsory by law. BE
E yond that the persons carried are locke
upon as so much freight, with mere tran
sportation as their only due
a The sleeping quarters are described a
; being in many cases filthy, inadequate an
all that is bad.
Good conditions are described in connec
j ton with Investigations of some steam
ships. and II is declared that competitio
was the most forceful influence that lie
d to the development of the improved typ
j OF steerage.
mo woman with the smallest degree Q
modesty, and with no other convenience
than a wash room, used Jointly with mel
and a faucet Of cold salt water can kee
clean amids such surroundings for a pei
Tod Of twelve days or more. 1t was for
hidden to bring water for washing purpose
into the sleeping compartments, nor wa
there anything in which TO bring it,
Senator Dillingham;. chairman of the i'm
migration commission, introduced in IN
senate today two bills intended to correC
much Of the evil from which the complaint
are made.