Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-23

/ tBy Dante Barton, of the committee on
industrial relatiousD
/ The industrial relations for millions
/ Of American citizens and workers be
/ gins az Ellis island That is New
/ York's great port of entry for immi-
grants. Through that gateway have
poured the greatest number of those
men and women and children from
Europe who have peopled this great re-
public. titled its fields, opened its
mines, established its factories and
made them productive. made its laws.
elected its public servants, and created
here nation distinctive and great in
its achievement and more distinctive
and great in its promises.
To have charge at this gateway and
to safeguard the rights of the people
already here and to safeguard in equal
measure the rights and interests of
the new workers and citizens and
their families, President Wilson ap-
pointed Frederick C. Howe. 1t was one
of those appointments, like the ap-
point of Louis D. Brandeis to the su-
preme court, that was hailed every
where among the plain people as a
pledge that the administration intend
ed a government of the right kind of
men to carry on a government of the
right kind of laws. Among all in
formed and forwardlOoking people,
and especially among the producers
and tOilers, many of whom had passed
through Ellis island and knew from
experience what was wrong with it
and what should be made right with it,
Mr.. HOwe's appointment gave the
chiefest satisfaction.
The finest and greatest proof that in
or nf Sc1a rod
erick c. Howe indicated and upheld
the national and international reputa-
ton he had earned as a writer of fun
damental democracy and as an official
and unofficial servant in action of the !
public has been given lately by a mem |
Der of congress. who criticised the
commissioner as the result of the &C |
ton Of Commissioner Howe in having |
advised that the government should |
not continue a contract with a firm of |
former clients of the congressman for |
feeding the immigrant men, woman |
and children COnfided to the govern |
ment's care. Mr.. Howe's recommended |
tons were that the contract, involv-
ing the expenditure of One-half mill
lion dollars year, in time of normal |
immigration, and being very prof.
table, should not be renewed, and that,
instead, the authorities at Ellis island
should purchase the food and prepare
and supply it to the immigrants at
cost.
For this Mr.. Howe was assaulted. For
this unfOunded rumors of immoral
lty' among the thousands of men and
women of all natiOnalities who are de-
tanned at the island were misstated as
facts. That they were misstated was
proved by an investigation begun at
once by the committee on immigra-
ton of the house of representatives
cOOperated with by Mr. Howe himself
and the department of labor The re-
port Of Secretary Wilson and Solicitor
DensuOre, adopted unanimously by /
the committee Of congress, after in
curry. proved that a notable condition
Or moral cleanliness prevailed when !
It was considered that the exigencies
Of the European war and the impOs-
5ibility of depOrting many of the I'M
tesirables had crowded the islands /
grounds, hospitals and detention {
rooms far beyond any provision that /
lad been made for ordinary or fore !
seen occasions. The acts of kindness z
md humanity and necessary common z
sense in the emergency which Mr.. I
lowe had done, and which had been c
approved by the secretary of labor {
we're misrepresented in themselves /
md distorted from the surrounding
acts and, conditions which inspired or
compelled them
No public servant who steps on the
oes' Of takers of profit where there fl
hould be no profit; no official who I
axes seriously the laws mandate to 1
afeguard the weak and oppressed !.
Tho are in his care; no man in pub a
&c or private life who has stopped ex- n
lofation by greed of the poor and Il
nsophisCated immigrants as Commits h
Toner Howe has stopped it could es- 2
ape such an attack q
From this attack Commissioner T
lowe energies not only completely il
indicated but with this statement of n
ne secretary of labor made TO CON Fl
ress concerning the things he had il
one: =,