Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-02-10
DlLLlNGHAM'S STATEMENT.
Explains in Detail the Work Done BY
His immigration Commission.

In the United States Senate last week
Wednesday, Senator w. 2. Dillingh ham OF
/ Vermont, chairman Of the immigration
commission, " hose course and expendi-
lures had been attacked in the House by
/ Representative Macon Of Arkansas, and
an appropriation a. si25,0 900 for the con-
/ tinuance Of whose work had been object
ed out OF the emergency bill on the
4 ground that it was a waste OF money,
made detailed explanation and defence
of the commissions work aud showed
the necessity of It's completion, where
upon the Senate restored the item to the
emergency appropriation bill. THE state
ment OF Senator Dillingham; and the ac-
companyine debate were reported as fol-
lows in the Congressional Record
Mr. Dillingham;. Mr.. President, in
order to make the matter perfectly clear,
| may perhaps refer to the action OF a
year ago. When the commission WAS or
ganized it was authorized TO make very
full and thorough Investigation, aud the
payment Of the expenses OF the commits
sion was to be made from what WAS
known as the "immisrant fund.- A
year or more ago the immigrant fund was
abolished. II then became necessary for
the expense OF the commission 10 come I'M
der the supervision OF the committees on
appropriations uf the two houses. When
this was done-it was just about a year
ago this time the bin as presented by the
committee OF the House Of Representa-
tives contained an appropriation OF $780,
600 to complete the work OF the eommis-
sion. That went out on point OF order.
An amendment was offered ia The Senate,
based upon an estimate Of the commission
OF the amount OF work that would be -e-
qured to make the necessary tabulations
and to edit the reports, at $3.50. 900,
which was adopted. The bill vent back
to the House when the amendment WAS
disagreed to, but from the committee OF
conference there was reported a moditlca-
tion OF the amendment approprlating
$3.50, 900 with a stipulation that the work
should be completed by the lth day Of
March next.
The commission have been diligent
during the last year and have turned out
large amount OF work. In addition to
the reports already presented to Congress
they have many Others almost ready for
presentation. On the other hand, they
have a vast amount OF material " hich has
teen gathered by the field force, about so
per cent of which has been tabulated, but
which will be entirely worthless unless a
further appropriation is made for com
plotting the tqbuiation and preparing the
reports based upon the same. The com
mission, therefore, ask for this appro-
pration.
Mr.. Bacon. II the Senator will pardon
me, it is right there that desire infor-
nation.
Mr.. Dillingham;. Certainly.
Mr.. Bacon. What is the character of
the information which has been tabu-
lated2 do not ask the Senator to go into
details, but to state 1t in general way.
Mr.. Dillingham;. do not know that /
quite understand the Senator's question.
Mr.. Bacon. The Senator from Vermont
said that the commission had been active I
ly engaged and bad secured large amount |
OF information which was to be tabulated I
and then incorporated in a report.
Mr.. Dillingham;. Yes.
Mr.. Bacon. | simply desire, not going |
into detail aud not unnecessarily to bur |
den the Senator, but in a general wy,
statement as to ths character Of that infor /
nation.
Mr.. Dillingham;. think can briefly |
answer the question OF the senator from /
Georgia. We have already submitted re-
ports to Congress on the white slave traffic. /
on Storage conditions; on physical assim- \
ilation OF the immigrant; on congestion 1
10 the large cities OF the country; and also 1
upon the occupations OF immigrants and
their children. These reports are all in. /
We have reports in process OF preparation 1
which will probably be completed before 4
the 4th OF March, upon several other sub 4
jects the immigrant in agriculture; the /
relative fecundity Of immigrants and their |
children, the investigations in Europe, I
aud the medical examination abroad. We |
have a report on the immigrant aid soci- |
cites that will probably be presented this /
week; another on alien crimiDality, OF 4
great interest aud great value; aud a very
exhaustive report on the immigration sit |
uation in Canada, which, in contrast to I
ours, is not only interesting but very i'm /
portant. We have also q dictionary OF 4
the immigrant races, very complete vol /
ume for reference; the history of Euro /
pean immigration in the United States, /
covering the whole period and written in /
popular form a review of the immigration /
legislation OF the country from the begin 1
ming, and legislation regulating the car
rage of passengers at sea. That is a sub \
ject which we have already acted upon in |
q bill passed last winter. Another report \
will be presented on immigrants banks. I
The unfinished work to which the SEN
ator refers covers some Of the large indus
tries of the country. When it is prepared
and presented it will give a picture, / 1
think, representing almost the exact status
of the immigration Of the last twenty or
thirty years, which Is of class entirely
different, new, and distinct from the i'm
m igration which came to this country
prior II 1887. l have 10 my hand a chart,
which perhaps the Senator can see from
his place (exhibitingl. The dark portion
of that chart represents the immigration
from 1882 to 1909 of those coming from
northern and western Europe, England,
ireland, Scotland, Wales and the western
part OF Europe, and the lighter portion OF
the chart shows how the immigration
from southern and eastern Europe has been
constantly increasing. think have here
The statistics that will show what that 4
change has been and how vitality ii affects
US as q nation.
Down to 1882 the immigration from
northern and western Europe-that is to
say, from Great Britain, Ireland, Ger