New-York tribune., 1909-12-15
CALL REPORT FALSE.
Steamship Officials Deny Err
istence of Steerage Abuses.

General denial OF the report O. st.e-age
conditions telsgraphsd from Washington
vas MADE yesterday IN the different steam
ship ofnces here The indecent ningling Of
men and women passengers and members
of the crew as described. was declared i'm
possible by several officials. who wished II
understood that they we're speaking not
only fer their own lines. but for all com
panies Transporting stesrags passengers 70
the United States
The rules on al lines would preclude the
possibility Of such conditions said an on
cisl OF the Hamburg-Annsrican. Members
Of the crew are not allowed IN the steerage
except az certain hours and on specified
errends AT a given time each day the pas
sengeTs who are able are required 70 go Up
on deck while the crew cleans their quar-
ters That is the only time any number OF
the crew is allowed IN the steerage And
as for the passengers themselves, the sep
aration Of the sexes is complete"
Cesare Cont. agent for the Lloyd Sa-
bsudo. declared emphatically that the re-
ports arraignment did not apply 70 Italian
lines, IL IL applied 20 any. The presence on
each steamship Of an Italian naval officer
10 see that the strict rules OF the Italian
government were enforced was a guaran-
Tee. he said. against the conditions de-
scribed.
a French Line official said. The story is
practically made up Of hot air" He said
the condition OF steerRge passengers on his
line while at sea was far superior TO that
which they were accustomed 20 on land.
The steamships OF the International Mer-
camille Marine we're exempted from the
criticism by an Official speaking for the dif-
ferent lines il comprises. He SAID inclosed
compartments we're provided for single
women, for families and for single men In
ships carrying British and Scandinavian
immigrants, but that the Italian govern
ment preferred an open steerage On the
boats Il regulated. In the one case. he
said. the inclosed compartments etfecrually
separated the sexes. ana in ths other the
italian royal commissioner on board saw
that the women We're protected.
The Cunard Line said It's steerage pas
sengers had separate rooms Of two, four
and six berths. After reading a Synopsis
cf the report the representative of the line
said: y know OF no other line where such
a conditicn could exist The Anchor Line
and Scandinavian Line agents spoke in sim
liar strain.
ofncials on Ellis Island expressed surprise
al the report. 1t seems 10 me there is
some exaggeration,' said Commissioner
Williams
Among a dozen or more Of the immigra-
ton inspectors az the Barge ONCE the opin-
ion was general that the report had grossly
exaggerated conditions
Livernooi. Dec. 14-An the Atlantic
steamship companies here give indignant
denial 20 the charges made by special
agents Of the United States Immigration
Commission. issued from Washington. con-
cerning conditions In the steerage
Officials Of the Cunsrd and White Star
companies declare that the allegations are
ridiculous and cannot refer 10 their boats.
Representatives of the Anchor and Allan
lines make similar denials. AL point out
that emigration trnfic Is so strictly regu-
lated that nothing of the kind could happen.
SouthsmptoH, Dec. 1.-THE managers of
the American and White Star steamship
companies az southampto5 greatly resent
the charges made by the immigration
agents and declare that the conditions of
steerage traffic leave nothing 70 be desired.
Albert ". Swain. the American Consul
here, says he has never received 3 COM
plant from any steerage passenger Of the
conduct Of the members OF crew.