Mr. GOTTLIEB. Oh, no, no; I did not say that. Mr. RAKER. You would have the same examination Mr. GOTTLIEB (interposing). Absolutely; the same examination to be held here; because if a man once passes a test there, he can pass it here too, and there is nothing to worry about. I say this: That, irrespective of the examination a man has on the other side, he should be examined here at the port of entry of the United States. Mr. RAKER. What is there now in the way of a method to show that what the alien has presented in his application is false? He presents anything here, and there is nowhere to procure evidence that it is false? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Do you mean here on this side? Mr. RAKER. Yes; under the present law. Mr. GOTTLIEB. Well, I do not know what the alien presents. He is simply examined by the board of special inquiry at New York, or at any other port, and simply testifies as to his ability to earn a living; and their other examinations are very small; they do not ask him about the passport, the visé, because the consul has already made the examination on the other side. Mr. WATKINS. Let me ask you this question: You have stated that your society proposes to establish a system which, in its nature, is very elaborate. You may have answered this before, but I would like to know about it: Who is going to pay the bills? Where is the money going to come from? Mr. GOTTLIEB. From members' subscriptions, the same as other organizations. Mr. WATKINS. You are going to pay for all the system abroadyour organization? Where is the money coming from? Mr. GOTTLIEB. From members' subscriptions and donations which we receive; and we solicit funds. Mr. WATKINS. Your membership is about 1,000? Mr. GOTTLIEB. About 1,000. Mr. WATKINS. And what are your fees? Mr. GOTTLIEB. $3 and $5 annually; and $25 active membership. Mr. CABLE. It would take a lot of money to look over 700,000 people in a year, would it not? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. Mr. WILSON. You are president of this society, the Selective Immigrant Aid Society? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Vice president. Mr. WILSON. And where is the domicile? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Washington. Mr. WILSON. Is that organized for the purpose of making a study and outlining plans for selective immigration? Mr. GOTTLIEB. It was organized to help the immigrant; to help him on the other side, before he comes to this country, by finding out whether he is admissible or inadmissible, and when he comes to this country to give him a "helping hand" and advise him where he can locate himself; where he can better his position; where labor is required, skilled labor; and not to keep them all in one city. Mr. WILSON. That was through the investigations of this society that you were furnishing that information there? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. Mr. WILSON. Are we to understand from that that your organization has studied the subject and is in favor of a selective system of immigration? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. Mr. WILSON. Then, from your investigations and study of that subject, this is information that you would collect on the other side as to whether or not an immigrant should have his passport viséed and be authorized to come to this country. By whom would that investigation be made and that information collected? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Well, we would have representatives on the other side. Mr. WILSON. Your organization? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. Mr. WILSON. If you could have a representative on the other side to investigate and to collect data as to immigrants, and to recommend them for admission Mr. GOTTLIEB (interposing). Well, it is not up to us to recommend. Mr. WILSON. But I mean you would have a bureau or some kind of an agency in each of the countries to investigate? Mr. GOTTLIEB. No; not in each country. In two or three countries, that is all; not in each country. Mr. WILSON. Well, if you could do that, of course, that same method would be open to others? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. Mr. WILSON. Including the heads of industries, and any organization that wanted to engage in collecting information as to the desirability or admissibility of immigrants? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Well, they, perhaps, would look at it from the angle of helping themselves by getting cheaper labor; that is not our aim. Mr. VAILE. Your aim is solely to help the United States? Mr. GOTTLIEB. That is our purpose and Mr. WILSON (interposing). I am very much interested in this. Mr. GOTTLIEB. I will present you with a copy of our articles of incorporation. Mr. WATKINS. And a list of your membership as well? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. (The material referred to is as follows:) CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION. Know all men by these presents, that we, the undersigned, citizens of the United States and residents and citizens of the District of Columbia, desiring to be incorporated under subchapter 3 relating to religious and benevolent societies, of the incorporation laws of the district of Columbia, as provided for by the Code of Laws of said District, enacted by Congress and approved by the President of the United States, do hereby certify: First. That the corporate name of the society shall be "Selective Immigrant Aid Society" of America. Second. The particular objects for which the said corporation is to be formed are to facilitate the movement of immigrants, who are admissible under the law, at all ports of the United States; to provide for such immigrants temporary shelter, and other necessary immediate aid and assistance; to guide them to their destination; to prevent exploitation of the immigrant, to aid and advise them in the procurement of useful employment and occupations, to the end that they may not become public charges; to obtain employment for such immigrants, but without any charge whatsoever either to the persons obtaining such employment or to the persons so employing them, to encourage the settlement of immigrants admitted to the United States in such parts and places thereof as will be to the welfare of the United States and the immigrants concerned; to furnish information to immigrants as to the industrial, agricultural and commercial conditions in the various parts of the United States of America, to disseminate knowledge of the United States immigration laws and regulations in foreign cities and ports which are large centers of emigration therefrom to the United States of America, with a view of discouraging the emigration therefrom to the United States of America of undesirable and inadmissible immigrants; to promote the Americanization of immigrants and to encourage and assist worthy immigrants in the acquisition of American citizenship by means of lectures and literature on the law, customs, institutions and ideals of the American people, and to foster among such immigrants a spirit of patriotism and love for their adopted country. Third. The place or places where its operations are to be principally conducted are throughout the United States. Fourth. The city in which its principal office is to be located is in the city of Washington, District of Columbia. Fifth. The term of its existence shall be perpetual. Sixth. Officers and trustees for the first year, all of whom are of lawful age, are as follows: George Henry Payne, president; L. Silo Gottlieb, vice president; Edward L. Corbett, financial and recording secretary; Isadore Freund, treasurer; Winfield Jones, Louis Weinberger, S. Dewey Gottlieb, trustees. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 20th day of June, A. D. 1923. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 88: WINFIELD JONES. I, John P. Cage, a notary public in and for the District of Columbia, do hereby certify that Winfield Jones, Louis Weinberger, and S. Dewey Gottlieb, parties to a certain certificate of incorporation bearing date on the 20th day of June, A. D. 1923, and hereto annexed, personnally appeared before me in said District, the said Winfield Jones, Louis Weinberger, and S. Dewey Gottlieb all being personally well known to me as the persons who executed the said certificate of incorporation and acknowledged same to be their act and deed for the purposes mentioned therein. Given under my hand and seal this 20th day of June A. D. 1923. [SEAL.] JOHN P. CAGE, Notary Public, District of Columbia. OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF DEEDS, This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and verified copy of the certificate of incorporation of the "Selective Immigrant Aid Society" ("S. I. A. S.") of America, and of the whole of said certificate of incorporation, as filed in this office the 21st day of June, A. D. 1923. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of this office this 21st day of June, A. D. 1923. ARTHUR G. FROE, Recorder of Deeds, District of Columbia. Members of the advisory council of the Selective Immigrant Aid Society: Chairman, Hon. Rolfe E. Bolling, vice president Merchants Bank & Trust Co., Washington, D. C.; Isaac Alzamora, professor international law, Columbia University; Nicholas J. Botsacos, merchant, New York City; Hon. Royal S. Copeland, United States Senator; Hon. Edwin C. Caffrey, judge common pleas court, Newark, N. J.; Col. S. F. Corbett, Fifty-second Field Artillery, American Expeditionary Forces; Dr. Thomas H. Curtin, eye specialist, New York; Miss Isabel T. Clarke, welfare worker, Municipal Building, New York; Hon. J. H. Cunnigham, former president Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D. C., and vice president Masonic Life Insurance Co.; Hon. W. D. Denny, Governor of the State of Delaware; Jacob R. Fain, former general manager Hebrew Shelter Society; Hon. Louis Fast, attorney at law; Hon. H. M. Goldfogle, former Member of Congress and president of the board of tax commission, city of New York; Hon. Phillip Giordano, editor, Bulletin and Il Popolo; Max Goldman, real estate and building contractor; Hon. Gustave Hartman, judge city court, New York City; Hon. H. R. Heitman, steamship travel expert; Prof. Victor Herbert, composer; Nejib Hekimian, importer, Washington, D. C.; Rabbi J. M. Levine; Hon. Charles C. Moore, Governor of the State of Idaho; Hon. F. X. Mancuso, judge court general sessions, New York City; Hon. L. Z. Murray, attorney at law; Theo. Marcopulos, Washington, D. C.; Capt. George Pagonis, manufacturer and exporter; Dr. M. B. Paroungian, professor dermatology; Hon. Lee M. Russell, Governor of the State of Mississippi; Hon. T. Scudder, former justice of the Supreme Court of New York; Hon. Leon Sanders, former justice municipal court New York and former grand master Independent Order Brith Abraham; Hon. Paul Russo, manufacturer; H. A. Sarraf, importer; Harry Sherby, merchant; Rabbi George Silverstone; Albert Stephan, wholesale druggist; Alexander Sussman, general insurance, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Reuben Sacks, wholesale dealer in hosiery, New York City; Mrs. Mary F. Wallace, charity worker; Dr. A. C. Wolmark, Ph. D., synthetical chemist; Morris Garfinkel, merchant; Hon. Albert B. Rossdale, former Member of Congress; Harry Moness. Mr. WILSON. But this information would be collected and furnished by your organization? Mr. GOTTLIEB. No; we would furnish it to no one; we would simply have it in the office-for instance, a person here would want to have his wife and children come over to the United States, and he would make up an affidavit in our office; and he would send that affidavit to us; and his wife and three children might reside about 60 miles from the place where the American consul has his office. Our representative would go down and look over that woman and those children and talk with the woman in their own mother language and find out whether any of the children were physically defective; whether any of them were feeble-minded; and if they were all healthy and of good mental condition, we would say, "We will help you. Come down to our office and our representative will go with you to the office of the American consul, and we will help you in regard to your visé," and we would prevent exploitation of that woman, and nobody would get any money from her; and we would go to the American consul (whatever his name is) and say, "Mr. So-and-so, here is a woman with her three children. We have found out that she is healthy and that her children are healthy. She is destined to her husband. We respectfully request that you grant a visé to her". Mr. WILSON (interposing). It is an organization, then, to assist those who desire to come here? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Where desirable. Mr. WILSON. Not finding out whether they are qualified, but if they can get over? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir; qualified and desirable. statement about 19,000 rejected immigrants who were afterwards admitted. Mr. RAKER. Yes; rejected on the ground of disease, etc. Mr. WILSON. I understand from a question asked by Judge Raker that during last year there were some 19,000 immigrants who had been rejected on the ground of disease, insanity, or other disability, at our own ports, that had afterwards been admitted, and asked the question if you knew who represented them in getting orders for their admission. Of course, you did not know that? Mr. GOTTLIEB. I did not know. Mr. WILSON. Well, can you give us any information as to who was representing the United States while that was going on and they were being admitted? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Well, I will tell you this: The question now is not the same as Judge Raker asked me. Judge Raker said there were 19,000 persons afflicted with diseases or feeble-minded. Mr. WILSON. No: all defects. Mr. GOTTLIEB. Of course, there may be a good many cases that are simply held on account of excess quota, where the immigration inspector in New York might have been under the presumption that the quota was exhausted, and when it comes to the department it is found and that it is not Mr. WILSON (interposing). He has no business being under any presumption. I asked if you happened to have the information, when we are faced with the situation that 19,000 people who had been declared inadmissible after getting to our ports had been afterwards admitted into the country. And it is not so important as to whether or not you represented them; but it is very important to know who was looking after the interests of the Government. Mr. WATKINS. Nobody, apparently. Mr. GOTTLIEB. Well, the Government is taking care of that by having the board of review, which examines every case; after an appeal is taken at the port of entry and it comes to the department here; the records are submitted to the board of review for their examination, and I doubt very much whether anyone could pass the board of review unless it was found that the appeal ought to be sustained. Mr. WILSON. Well, that is just the point. Would each one of those cases, the 19,000 cases, be examined and passed on by this board of review? Mr. GOTTLIEB. Yes, sir. If they are appealed to Washington and if they come to Washington, of course they would. Mr. WILSON. Well, if there is no appeal, they are passed on byMr. GOTTLIEB. No. If there is no appeal, then they are deported right away; if there is no appeal from a case at Ellis Island then they are immediately deported. Mr. WILSON. Suppose the order is to admit? The CHAIRMAN. Let us clear that up a little. The statistics for the last year give lists of aliens who were debarred and aliens deported. That is one class. Then we come to the class of appeals from decisions. Those appeals from decisions excluding the aliens amounted to 12,828, and the disposition of them was as follows: Admitted without bond, 2,712. Admitted on public charge bond, 1,349. Admitted temporarily without bond, 234. Admitted temporarily on public charge, and departure bond, 2,802. Admitted on school bond, 487. Debarred, 5,244, a little less than one-half. Then there are some appeals from decisions admitting aliens. Mr. RAKER. How about those 5,000 deported? Does that show how those were made up? The CHAIRMAN. That is shown in another table. |