where desirable of immigrant students admitted, conditioned for their departure from the United States. The present situation works to the disadvantage of the alien in obliging the port officials to exclude in a doubtful case, whereas if bond were possible, doubts might be resolved in favor of the applicant in many instances without jeopardy to the accomplishment of the general purposes of the act. Eighth. That a nonquota status in the issuance of immigration visas be given to the dependent parents over 60 years of age, to the husband, and to the children between the ages of 18 and 21 of citizens of the United States. The number who would be benefited by this modification of existing law is not large, and I believe considerations of fairness and humanity fully support my recommendation. Certainly citizen wives should have the right to petition for nonquota status in behalf of their alien husbands, just as American husbands now have that right in respect of their alien wives. Ninth. That legislation be enacted authorizing the seizure and forfeiture of vehicles or vessels used to import aliens into the United States in violation of the provisions of the immigration laws, or to transport them thereafter pursuant to such illegal importation and to permit the Immigration Service to make use of such vehicles and vessels after they have been ordered forfeited by the courts. Tenth. That legislative authority be granted, to be exercised within the discretion of the Commissioner General with the approval of the Secretary of Labor, to legalize the residence of aliens in meritorious cases by means of nunc pro tunc examinations to be held by immigrant inspectors, coupled with a physical and mental examination by officers of the United States Public Health Service. The problem of the decent and law-abiding alien in our midst (who has formed ties of various sorts, often including families) whose original entry was attended by irregularity-possibly a failure of the officers to inspect, or incompleteness of record, or perhaps unwitting and wholly innocent failure to submit himself for inspection at the proper time and place, and all before any quota restrictions became effectiveis a real and difficult one. Many such aliens deserve some special consideration. Perhaps they desire to leave the country and return; but, in the absence of a proper record of legal permanent admission, no relief can be accorded them. If they depart from the country they must in returning thereto be subject to all the restrictions imposed upon initial entrants. They can not become United States citizens, and the presence in the United States of this unassimilated element is undesirable in the extreme. Eleventh. I desire to reiterate and urge that provision be made for the payment of the traveling expenses of officers and employees of this service, and the expenses incurred in the moving of their families and household effects pursuant to official transfers in the line of duty. Ever-changing conditions in the Immigration Service render it imperative that personnel should be shifted about with considerable frequency. For an officer or employee to be forced in the line of duty to give up his home and move to another official station, all at his own expense, is absolutely unjust. Twelfth. That a schedule of pay for officers and employees of the Immigration Service stationed outside continental United States be formulated and authorized by Congress in line with rates of pay granted other civilian officers and employees performing duty overseas of equivalent importance; that automatic increases up to at least $3,000 per annum for immigrant inspectors stationed in continental United States, be authorized, contingent upon efficient service. Thirteenth. That adequate buildings be provided for the care of aliens detained in deportation proceedings. At present such aliens are largely confined in jails. Fourteenth. The Secretary of Labor should be given broader powers to admit aliens in hardship cases-political refugees, artists, and intellectual geniuses, and wives of aliens admitted for permanent residence prior to July 1, 1924, who have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States. With wise limitations and restrictions this power can be safely conferred upon the department without danger of abuse. Fifteenth. That appropriate adaptability tests be authorized, with a view to determine whether an alien applying for admission to the United States is good citizenship material and that authority be given to exclude from admission those failing in such tests. Sixteenth. As indicated elsewhere in this report the border patrol should be materially strengthened. A more liberal provision than that afforded by the compensation act, should be provided for the widows and orphans of those killed in line of duty. The same safeguards should be thrown about the members of the border patrol and the same immunities extended to them as are accorded any and all other Federal law-enforcement officers, the performance of whose duties involves hazards to life, including the right of trial in Federal courts and defense at the hands of United States attorneys. Seventeenth. Statistics continue to show that a very substantial volume of alien visitors, or nonimmigrants, is admitted each year. These aliens are not presumed to stay here permanently and with the careful scrutiny given their cases by the American consuls abroad, assisted by technical advisers and by administrative officers at the ports of entry, I doubt that any considerable proportion is abusing the privilege to evade the quota. However, I do feel that the number is sufficiently large to warrant a more careful check upon them than is possible at the present time with the force available. To do this work properly, to insure departure of those who should depart, we should have an additional inspection and clerical staff. The efforts of such a staff would undoubtedly have a salutary effect as a deterrent and at the same time do much to educate the public in a feature of the law that is not clearly understood. A system of keeping check on overstayed visitors in this country would likewise enable the department more intelligently and satisfactorily to pass upon applications for extensions of time. DISCUSSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS FIELD I am convinced that a plan should be placed in operation whereby admitted aliens will be furnished with certificates of identification for their own protection and for the assistance of immigration officers in determining their status when any such admitted aliens are made the subject of investigation. Such certificates of identification would meet a long-felt need and one which has been repeatedly urged by field officers. I believe that consideration should be given to the question of designating certain of the more important coast and land border ports as schools for the training on the job of immigrant inspectors and border patrol inspectors, and, with this in view, that probational appointees should be initially assigned to such places and thereafter to other stations as need of their services thereat arises, such reassignments to be made, however, only after the new appointee has satisfactorily completed his period of probation. Probationers failing to measure up to the requirements should be promptly dropped from the rolls at the training points. A system of training of this sort would not only make for uniformity of standards of efficiency and uniformity of practices, but would obviate the necessity of assigning green, inexperienced, untrained men to new jobs or vacancies where but little, if any, opportunity is afforded to give them special attention. Such a system would require a comparatively small increase in the personnel. Vacancies at the training points, resulting from the transfer of trained personnel, would be immediately filled by the appointment of new probationers. Field officers generally find the new appointees of relatively little value for the first six months or longer. In fact they are more frequently than not a distinct liability, especially where, as is almost invariably the case, the field staff is functioning with a minimum number of employees. I wish to invite particular attention to the fact that our field service is undermanned. It is impossible for it to attend to many vitally important matters pressing for attention. Hundreds if not thousands of reports of aliens unlawfully in the United States or engaged in unlawful activities have to remain unattended to, only the most flagrant receiving attention. Last January a survey of our penal institutions, insane asylums, hospitals and poorhouses disclosed over 113,000 alien inmates. How many of these were subject to deportation could only be ascertained by individual and, in many cases, long-drawn-out investigations-interviewing of friends, relatives, and the like, scattered throughout the country. The officers who made the preliminary survey had to return to their pressing tasks as quickly as possible. The essential task of investigating the individual inmates of these institutions and of deporting those subject to deportation, thereby relieving the institutions of such burdens, could not be attended to then, nor can it be attended to now, because of the lack of officers to do the work. BUREAU Despite every effort to systemize the work of the bureau, the adoption of shortcuts and the elimination of every operation that is not vitally essential, the bureau generally is understaffed. We are constantly taking help from one division where the need is somewhatless urgent to help out in another that has fallen behind-borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. The financial rewards offered are not sufficient to attract and retain the best talent. Trained and efficient employees leave us for higher pay in other walks of life and even in other departments of the Government. 66175--27 3 CONCLUSION In conclusion I desire to express my appreciation of the splendid service rendered during the year just closed by the loyal, efficient workers in the field and in the bureau, and to thank you and the other officials of the department for the sympathetic and helpful aid at all times extended. Respectfully submitted. HARRY E. HULL, |