The Benefits Of The Shattuc Bill

THE BENEFITS OF THE SHATTUC BILL

IT RECENTLY PASSED HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The Measure it is Said will Reduce Excessive Immigration of Foreigners Here

The following topics of interest to W. C. T. U. readers have been received from Mrs. Ada K. Densmore, press superintendent of the W. C. T. U.:

The annual state convention of the W. C. T. U. will be held in Kalamazoo Tuesday to Friday, inclusive, June 10-13. Mrs. Jennie Mitchell of N. Division street, and Mrs. Clara Williams, of Twelfth street, have been elected delegates to represent the Ann Arbor union. Mrs. Ada K. Densmore, who is a member of the state board, will also attend.

On May 27, the house of representatives passed the Shattuc immigration bill, and with it two significant resolutions, on prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors in the Capitol, the other prohibiting their sale at immigrant stations. The significance of the Shattuc bill with the attached prohibitive amendments is fully felt when the following figures are considered:

"The immigrants on board steamers due in New York harbor May 30 and 31, reached a total of 88,500." Most of these, it is stated, "are non-producers and regarded as among the lowest classes." Until the senate passes upon this bill and these amendments, it is the order of the day for white-ribboners everywhere to promptly and persistently make themselves felt over wire and by mail, until every senator knows the will of the W. C. T. U. in this matter which concerns them because it so vitally concerns the welfare of the country.

If this bill passes the senate and becomes a law it will reduce our excessive immigration one-third in quantity and improve it more than one-third in quality; but such a bill has been repeatedly defeated by the alliance of steamship companies and brewers, who would lose the patronage of that one-third, but by whose exclusion both labor and morality would be benefited in this country; therefore the labor unions, the churches, and the temperance societies should unite in one general broadside upon the senators, urging them to vote for the bill.

Dr. John G. Patton, "most dearly beloved of modern missionaries," writes in regard to the passing of the Gillett Lodge act: "All friends of our missions will rejoice and praise the Lord for the evil to be prevented by it, and also the far-felt influence for good. It will, when put into force, prevent many murders and much misery and sin among our 40,000 to 60,000 cannibals yet on the New Hebrides."

Although seventy-eight years of age, Dr. Patton sailed about a month ago, with his wife, for Aneva, a cannibal island hitherto without a missionary. How his work is reinforced with the knowledge that these untaught, irresponsible ones of the human family are to be protected by law from such destroying agents as "arms, ammunition, explosive substances, intoxicating liquor and opium," only missionaries doing a similar work can fully appreciate.