The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-02-10
Senator from Vermont yleld to the

pleasure to the very interesting
statement of the Senator from Yer
mont; and should like to ask him a
question. This commission has been
in existence some three years?
Mr.. Dillingham;. 1t was organized
in the spring of 1907. Some work was
done in Europe that summer, and
during the next winter the scope and
the extent of the inquiry were deter
mined upon and plans for the field
work adopted. IL was begun on the
LIST day of July, 1908, and was sub
stantially completed on the list of
July, 1909.
Mr.. Stone. The expenses incurred
by the commission under the act au-
thorizing its creation were to be paid
out of the immigration fund?
Mr.. Stone. And the Senator says
that that fund became exhausted, SO
that it became necessary
Mr.. Lodge. No.
Mr.. Dillingham;. No. 1t did not be.
come exhausted, but the fund was
abolished by legislation, and the re-
ceipts from that source were turned
into the general fund of the United
States Treasury. So it became nee
essary to have appropriated by Con-
gress whatever sums that might be
necessary to complete the work.
Mr.. Stone. The fund ceased to be
available, at all events.
Mr.. Dillingham;. Yes.
Mr.. Stone. Then you had to resort
to ordinary appropriations?
Mr.. Dillingham;. Yes.
Mr.. Stone. What was the amount of
the last appropriation?
Mr.. Dillingham;. A hundred and fifty
thousand dollars
Mr.. Stone. What has been the total
amount of appropriations?
Mr.. Dillingham;. The total amour.
expended?
Mr.. Stone. The total appropriation.
Mr.. Dillingham;. That is the only
appropriation which has been made.
Mr. Stone. The only one?
Mr.. Dillingham;. Yes; at that time
as | said, the commission asked for
s250,0OO.
Mr.. Stone. That appropriation was
made at the last session.
Mr.. Dillingham; At the last session.
Mr.. Stone. OF the last Congress?
Mr.. Dillingham;. Yes.
Mr.. Stone.-Was there a provision
i understand there was-that with
that appropriation the business of the
commission was to be concluded and
the life and labors of the commission
should cease in March, 1910?
Mr.. Dillingham;. That is the fact;
but Congress appropriated only $780,
900, though the commission informed
that body that it could not COM
plete the work without an expend-
ture of $25O,0O0. They have gone as
far as they have been able to do
Mr.. Stone. What has been the to-
tai appropriation?
Mr.. Dillingham;. From the begin
ming the total disbursements have
been 1851, 99267. OF this amount,
$509,S61.61 has been for the cost of
collection and tabulation of material;
general field work and clerical force,
with 1853 field agents and 80 clerks
employed, all told-salaries and ex-
penses. The cost of administration,
salaries, and expenses of commission
ers, secretaries, statistical and head
quarters force, was 91,904.66; print
ing, supplies, and miscellaneous ex-
penses, $35.549.S9. The expenses of
the commission in Europe were $780,
676.51.
Mr.. Stone. Mr.. President, if the
Senator from Vermont is through, |
desire to say that it seemed to me that
the commission had expended a very
large sum of money and had been at
work a long time, and that we had
reached a point where we had better
adhere to the determination arrived
at when the last appropriation was
made, namely that the life and labors
of the commission should cease. on
March 10, 1910. ! remember reading
some remarks made by members of
this commission last year when the
appropriation bill was. pending to the
effect that there was no reason why
the work of the commission could not
be completed and final report made
by the lst of December of last year
and certainly by the first of January
OF the present year. That opinion
was decisively expressed by members
OF the commission. There was some
difference of opinion, though not rad
ical, as to that; and finally it was de-
termined that the appropriation should
be made and the work prosecuted and
by March 10 think that
was the date-of the present year.
And so. when / saw that a further
of $125,OO0 was asked
for and an extension of time of the
commission for nine or ten months.
| was disposed to approve the view
taken nv tha Nan,harc Of tho IIo,,.o