So far as the Capitol is concerned and every Government building in this city, they are already covered by the District liquor law. We are certainly covered on every Government building connected with the Army and the Navy by the anticanteen law. So, really the only place at issue that the law unquestionably does not cover is the immigrant station; and if you choose to amend the bill so as to forbid the sale of liquor in the immigrant station only, I am sure we shall feel that that is a good slice of reform, and I believe Congress would pass such a bill.

The CHAIRMAN. I am not opposed to prohibition in old soldiers Homes; I favor the whole bill as it stands, but I am looking at the practical feature of the legislation. I want you to get some kind of a bill through, and not have it weighted down by trying to get too much in one measure.

Mr. CRAFTS. As to the Soldiers' Homes, perhaps we may have a strong appeal prepared by a lawyer showing that the anticanteen law does apply to the Soldiers' Homes and asking the President and governing council that it be enforced. But lest that string break we will keep on asking Congress for a law, perhaps in a separate bill dividing the Hansbrough bill before us into two new bills.

The CHAIRMAN. I think you ought to go before the Secretary of War and be represented by competent counsel and ask him to enforce the anticanteen law as you interpret it, and if he decides against you you can ask Congress to amend the law.

Mr. CRAFTS. The management of the Homes is largely in the hands of a governing council. Perhaps we might get enforcement of present law through that.

The CHAIRMAN. Go before them, and then if they do not sustain your position, take an appeal from them to the Secretary of War.

Mr. CRAFTS. We may do that, but lest our appeal for such a con struction of the present law should fail, we will also keep at work for a law of Congress prohibiting all Government liquor selling. Meantime we shall confidently hope you will report at least so much of this bill as relates to what especially concerns your committee the immigrant stations.

Thereupon (at 11 o'clock and 45 minutes p. m.) the committee adjourned.

REGULATION OF IMMIGRATION.

STATEMENTS

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION,

UNITED STATES SENATE,

ON

THE BILL (H. R. 12199) TO REGULATE THE IMMIGRATION
OF ALIENS INTO THE UNITED STATES.

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REGULATION OF IMMIGRATION.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Wednesday, June 4, 1902

The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m.

Present: Senators Penrose (chairman), Fairbanks, and Dillingham. Also Hon. William B. Shattuc, of Ohio, chairman of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, House of Representatives; William Williams, commissioner of immigration at the port of New York; Charles H. Litchman, member of the Industrial Commission; A. S. Anderson, of Philadelphia, Pa., passenger manager, American Line, International Navigation Company; R. De C. Ward and Charles E. Edgerton, of Boston, representing the Immigration Restriction League; Hugh R. Fuller, of Beaver Falls, Pa., representing the railroad employees; Herman J. Schulteis, representing the Knights of Labor, and others.

The CHAIRMAN (Senator Penrose). The meeting of the committee has been called to-day to hear various gentlemen on the bill (H. R. 12199) to regulate the immigration of aliens into the United States which recently passed the House of Representatives. Have the gentlemen present made any arrangement as to who shall be heard first?

Mr. LITCHMAN. Without assuming to take any charge of the matter, it seems to me entirely proper that the commissioner of immigration at the port of New York, who, I understand, desires to have the bill perfected by some suggestions as to phraseology, shall be heard first. The CHAIRMAN. Very well; we will hear Mr. Williams.

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM WILLIAMS, COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION AT NEW YORK.

Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Chairman, I should like to be heard on some of the administrative features of the bill. I have been in office too short a time to say very much about the merits or demerits of the educational test.

If you will turn to section 26, on page 20, the office of the CommissionerGeneral and myself are agreed as to how the boards of special inquiry should be constituted, but there having arisen a grave difference of opinion as to whether the phraseology of this section carries out our respective views, I have redrafted the section, and I submitted it this morning to the office of the Commissioner-General, and, as redrafted, it meets with their approval. They will not oppose it. It is as follows: "SEC. 26. That boards of special inquiry shall be appointed at the various ports of arrival by the commissioners of immigration at such ports as may be necessary for the prompt hearing and discharge or

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