adopted the British provision relative to space allotted to steerage passengers both in the matter of total space and space allotted for sleeping quarters alone. The House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, to which the Senate act under discussion was referred, after a hearing, recommended an increase in the air-space allowance which had been provided by the Senate, and further recommended that "commodious and suitable dining rooms, lounging rooms, smoking rooms, lavatories, toilet rooms, and bath rooms shall be provided for the exclusive use of steerage passengers." The favorable report of the House committee was followed by a minority report signed by three members of the committee recommending that section 42 of the immigration act be allowed to go into effect as provided in that act. The proposed legislation was favored by the House, however, and with some amendments further increasing the air-space requirements, the bill became a law on December 19, 1908. Neither the United States nor the British laws make compulsory the provision of lounging and dining rooms for steerage passengers, but both laws encourage such a provision by allowing these rooms to count in computing space. Consequently, accommodations of this sort may be provided without reducing the carrying capacity of ships. The space allotted to steerage passengers for sleeping purposes is, however, specifically regulated by both the United States and British laws, the former requiring for this purpose 18 superficial feet per passenger on the lowest passenger deck and 15 superficial feet on passenger decks, and the latter 15 and 12 superficial feet, respectively, on the lowest and other passenger decks. Both laws also provide that for each steerage passenger carried there shall be allotted 5 superficial feet of air or promenade space on a deck so open as not to be included in the tonnage of the ship. No provision for open-deck space was made in the United States law of 1882 nor in section 42 of the immigration act of 1907. The statutory steerage capacity of ships under the act of 1882 was of course considerably reduced as a result of the United States act of 1908. In providing that space for steerage passengers be allotted in superficial area rather than cubic feet, the new law of the United States follows the laws of Great Britain and France, while under the German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian laws the cubical system of measurement prevails. There can be no doubt that the cubical system tends to encourage greater height between decks. Under the United States and British laws steamships with between-decks of less than 7 feet are penalized to the extent that a greater superficial area per passenger is required, but on all decks of 7 feet or over the requirement relative to passenger space is the same. In other words, a ship with between-decks 7 feet in height can, under the laws referred to, carry as many passengers as a ship with decks 9 feet in height and having the same deck area. On the other hand, the cubical system tends to restrict the actual deck space allowed to passengers as the height between decks is increased. This fault is recognized by the laws of Germany and Italy, which limit the height between decks at which no further restriction of the deck space is allowed, the limit in the case of Ger many being fixed at 2.40 meters (7.9 feet), and of Italy at 2.50 meters (8.2 feet). As a rule the height between decks on steamships in the transatlantic immigrant-carrying trade is considerably above 7 feet. and in 1908 only two decks, on two steamships of the Allan Line, were under 7 feet. Of 465 between-decks inspected at United States ports in the fiscal year 1907, 52 were over 7 and less than 7 feet in height, 228 were over 7 and less than 8 feet, 146 were over 8 and less than 83, and 37 were over 8 feet. Under the present United States law the height between decks in excess of 7 feet on these ships is of no pecuniary advantage to the owners so far as the carriage of steerage passengers is concerned. On a modern steamship of many decks. 8 feet or more in height another deck could be added by reducing the height between decks to 7 feet and the carrying capacity materially increased without subjecting the ship to a penalty of any kind under the United States or British law. However, barring the possibility that it might encourage a tendency toward lower betweendecks, the present United States passenger law, so far as it relates to space for steerage passengers, is more advanced than the law of any other nation. It may be said that the great improvements during the past twentyfive years in steerage conditions on the ships of some lines has been due, perhaps, more to competition and the will of such steamship companies than to the requirements of any steerage law. As a matter of fact, the steerage, as it is popularly known, has been entirely abolished in the case of several transatlantic ships, and in its place have been established so-called third-class accommodations, which differ from the second and first class only in appointments and service, these being simpler in proportion to the difference in cost. Unfortunately, however, the old type of steerage is still found in many ships, and although usually referred to by transportation companies as "third class" it is unworthy the name, for it differs so completely from first and second class accommodations on the same ships that a fair comparison is not possible. This phase of the steerage question is fully discussed in the Commission's report on steerage conditions." BRITISH, GERMAN, AND ITALIAN STEERAGE LAWS. The United States passenger act of 1882 as amended by the act of December 19, 1908, the British merchant shipping acts of 1894 and 1906 with the British board of trade regulations of 1907, the German passenger law of 1898, and the Italian law of 1901 and regulations of 1901 and 1909, were all the result of a determination on the part of these countries that decent treatment and comfortable quarters should be the lot of steerage passengers at sea. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Spain, and other maritime countries have legislated or promulgated regulations with the same end in view, but the four laws above mentioned may fairly be considered as representative of the best thought and effort in this regard. Therefore a comparison of the main provisions of these laws is contained in the Commission's complete report. The cubic feet of air space allowed each steerage passenger on various decks, according to the height between decks, by the United a Steerage Conditions. Reports of the Immigration Commission, vol. 37. (Senate Doc. No. 206, 61st Cong., 2d sess.) States, British, German, and Italian laws, is shown by the following table: TABLE 2.-Cubic air space per steerage passenger allowed by laws specified, on various decks, according to height between decks. Feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. The table shows that under the United States law of 1908 steerage passengers are afforded a considerably greater amount of air space than under the other laws considered. The British law is next in this regard. In the amount of air space specified the German and Italian laws are nearly alike. Under the German, however, the amount of space for sleeping is relatively greater than would appear from the above comparison for the reason that space devoted to hospitals and to the tables and benches for dining is not deducted from the amount specified for steerage passengers. The Italian law appears to be silent in this regard and consequently it may be said that the allowance of air space under it is somewhat smaller than under the law of Germany. Under the United States and British laws space devoted to hospitals, public rooms, lavatories, bathrooms, etc., is included in the space allotted to steerage passengers. While the steerage laws of the four countries considered are far from uniform in detail, it is apparent that the intent of each is "to give to those who come and go in passenger vessels a security of comfort and convenience," which, as expressed by Senator Newton, of Virginia, who framed it, was the purpose of the first United States law for the regulation of the steerage. However, ships of one nation carrying steerage passengers to or from the ports of another are subject to the laws of both countries, and this tends to produce a uniformity of practice. In the case of ships bringing steerage passengers to the United States, for instance, the United States law relative to space would be effective without regard to the law of the country from which the ship sailed. Other features of the various laws are not so clearly defined as is that of space provision, and in consequence there is some difficulty in meeting the requirements of all the nations; but generally in such cases the possible disadvantage to the steerage passenger is not great. There has been some discussion of the merits of dormitories, or large compartments, as compared with smaller compartments, or staterooms, for steerage passengers. The passenger laws considered permit either system, and circumstances largely control the steamship companies in the matter. In recent years there has been a tendency 82401°-VOL 2-11—39 toward the adoption of the stateroom system, particularly on steamships sailing from British and northern European ports, while large compartments still prevail in the southern European trade. On some of the recently built boats of the Hamburg-American Line, so-called third-class quarters have been added. In such cases one steerage deck is fitted with staterooms, while on other steerage decks the largecompartment system is retained. The stateroom system of course insures greater privacy, and is now practically demanded by many emigrants, especially those from northern European countries. On the other hand it is said that some southern and eastern European emigrants prefer the large compartments, but whether this is or is not true, it is certain that there is no general demand for small staterooms on the part of such passengers. It is claimed, also, that the larger compartments are better ventilated and lighted than are steerage staterooms. However, the matter has not been considered of sufficient importance to demand legislation in favor of either system. Descriptions of the two general types of steerage by agents of the Immigration Commission who made an investigation of steerage conditions on several transatlantic steamships in 1908 will be found elsewhere in this volume." ENFORCEMENT OF STEERAGE LAWS. From the result of the Immigration Commission's investigation just referred to it is clear that bad steerage conditions are for the most part due to the nonenforcement of the various laws regulating the carriage of steerage passengers rather than to faulty provisions in those laws. Of the four laws considered, none but the Italian provides for actual governmental supervision over a ship at sea, and consequently on ships not subject to the Italian regulations, provisions of the law which can not be controlled from ports of sailing and arrival are dependent to a great extent upon the policy of the steamship company and the will of the commanding officer. The number of steerage passengers to be carried, the equipment of the steerage, and the quality and quantity of food taken on board can, of course, be regulated according to law, but the treatment of passengers, the condition in which the steerage is kept, and the cooking and distribution of the food during the voyage can not be so controlled. The Immigration Commission has recommended to Congress that properly qualified officials of the United States, both men and women, be placed on ships carrying steerage passengers. Senator William P. Dillingham, chairman of the Commission, and Representative William S. Bennet, also a member of the Commission, have introduced bills in accordance with this recommendation, both of which are pending in Congress. See pp. 296–302. See Steerage Conditions. Reports of the Immigration Commission, vol. 37. (Senate Doc. No. 206, 61st Cong., 2d sess.) |