The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-06
THE PEOPLE'S FORUM
nIMIGRATION BILL
House should Take Action Upon
THIS Important Measure.


ThIs Important Measure.
To the Editor: The item from Albany
n. Y, which appeared exclusively In
The Herald this morning, raises the
query: Why doesn't the House at least
consider and vote upon the excellent
immigration bill Of ffty-two pages, pre-
pared by the experts Of the Congression-
al immigration Commission. which thor
oughly investigated conditions in this
and foreign countries, and reported that
many undeniRbly undesirable persons
enter the country every year" that our
existing immigration laws are weak
and Intellectual" asd even that there
was growing criminal class in the
country due to immigration" A bill that
was introduced in the Senate last Au-
gust by the chairman Of that commits
sion. Senator Dillingham;, that was re-
ported by the Senate copmittee last
January. that was on the Senate calen-
dar over three months, being considered
from week to week. and being passed
after three consecutive days debate?
The bill has been before the House
over two months now. was reported by
the House committee over a month ago,
has been the subject Of a Democratic
ment by Congressman Dies and others
upon the floor Of the House, and would
do something to relieve the intolerable
conditions and financial burdens imposed
upon the taxpayers Of New York and
other States, 50 convincIngly called at
tention to in the article referred TO. and
which have been even pointed out by
Gov. Dix. who said some weeks ago
that alien insane alone were costing
Is
According to the reports Of the New
York state Board Of AnenIsts and Lu-
macy Commission, the foreign steamships
make no effective efforts to turn back
the mentally defective at the ports or
embarkation. and absolutely refuse 10
allow New York oficials TO assist, and
to go on board vessels to assist, oven
convalescent aliens, DESTROYS OF return
ing. because foreign governments compel
the steamship companies n defray the
expenses OF returning insane aliens, thus
resulting in the steamships preventing
the return Of insane aliens brought to
this country, and thus contributing TO
making this country practically a dump
for the degenerates called attention to
in this mornings item IN The Herald
by a State officlal OF New York.
Here is at least ono place where the
progressive" Democratic party could
score II its promises and pretenses are
earnest, and here is an opportunity for
II to prove its sincerity. and to give an
earnest Of what Il will do by at least
considering and voting upon the bill
that passed the Senate nine weeks ago.
Wilson, its nominee. has said some very
pointed things as a student and teacher
Of the youth OF our land about the de-
terioration OF the quality Of our recent
immigration. which does not seem 20
have blocked his nomination, however
much used by certain papers in trying
to arouse and stir up the less than
three million forelgn-bon males OF vot-
ing age in this country that have taken
out naturalization papers, and who DO
not seem to have been very much IN
clined to rally around the Hearst on
slaught on the Jersey Governor.
Very truly.
J. A MCKNIGHT