Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-18
IMMIGRATION.
VII-THE STEERAGE PASSENGER.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

1t is doubtful if anywhere else IN the
entire civilized world can such vile and
disgraceful treatment of human beings in
masses be found as on the majority OF
the steamships which carry our immi-
grants to U.S. The conditions which these
people meet beggar description. and the
official picture that has been painted of
them is so startling that it could scarcely
be accepted did it not find confederation in
every unofficial picture of the Storage
that our best word artists have painted.
One stands amazed that greed for gold
could lead men to subject their fellow
beings to such conditions as the steerage
passenger endures according to the reve-
ations of the immigrant commission. The
picture it draws is careful one. The
data were obtained by special agents
travelling as steerage passengers on twelve
transatlantic liners. and from cabin OBJ
servations of the steerage on two others.
This was done in 1903. when the immi-
grafton reached a very low ebb. The
commission is careful to tell us that the
information was obtained at time when
travel was at it's highest and the steer
age at its best.
y x
nized-the old. the new and the combina-
tion of the two. The old
Conditions in brings the bulk of our
c4 immigration from south
0'ecAo6e' crn and eastern Europe
1t is unspeakably bad. The new brings
the bulk of the immigrants from north
western Europe. and it is all that can be
desired. Between the two classes of
ShinS those which hofnp
formed from the old to the new. On
these. a difference of $50 per ticket is
the difference between decency and in
decency, between a chamber Of horrors
like the Black Hole of Calcutta and COM
Portable quarters.
Heretofore the steamship companies
have apOlogized for the filthy conditions
OF the old steeraSe by saying the immi-
grants were piggish lot of people who
would render the first cabin as filthy as
the steerage if :hey We're permitted; they
also asserted that it was impossible to
better conditions as long as such cattle"
peopled the steeraSe. But now We find
in the ship that has part new and part
old Steerage accommodations that the
immigrant in steerage is not different
from the remainder of humanity-he
will be reasonably clean if he has a
reasonable chance. The commiss on
concludes that there is no reason why
| the disgusting and demoralizing condi-
| tons that have generally prevailed in
the steerage of immigrant ships should
continue"
Let US glance at the commissions typ
lcal picture of the old steerage. The in
| vesti gator who
PICTURE Drawn painted it was a
of Old System. W., men .ms,, VINO mac" nor
age In the steerage, travelling as a single
Bohemian peasant woman. Before sail
ing all steerage passengers We're sup
posed to be vaccinated. The women and
| men were vaccinated in separate rooms
| and an inspection card stamped by the
| United States consulate. certifying that
| they had been vaccinated. was given
| them. In the investigators case not one
| Of the three scratches had punctured the
| skin. She found that others had Jared
l the same way.
Tho compartment In the Storage for