4 
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM 
In placing before this Commission his views regard 
ing the scope of its inquiry, President Roosevelt said 
that, in his judgment, the most important problem 
before the American people, next possibly to the 
question of conservation, was that of immigration. 
The facts concerning immigration were not well 
known. Legislation heretofore had been built upon 
fragmentary information, and on local or individual 
inquiries. He hoped that the Commission would be 
so provided with funds and given such opportunity for 
its work that its investigation might be very thorough, 
so that hereafter, when immigration should again be 
come the subject of legislation, there would be no 
need of going back of the Commission’s report. 
NATURE OF ITS WORK 
The Commission viewed the problem in this light, 
and accordingly the scope of its inquiries was wide and 
every means was taken to make the work thorough, 
and accurate. 
In order to carry out the instructions of the Presi 
dent it was thought best to print not only the report 
and recommendations but also the basic material 
practically all of which is new, so that hereafter, 
when the question again comes up, there will be 
found in the forty-one volumes of the report the 
material on which the conclusions and recommenda 
tions of the Commission are based. Investigators 
need not accept those conclusions and recommenda 
tions on faith. They may if they wish go through 
John L. Burnett, Georgia; Mr. Charles P. Neill, Texas; Mr. Jeremiah W. 
Jenks, New York; Mr. William R. Wheeler, California. 
Senator Latimer died February 20, 1908, and was succeeded by Senator 
Anselm J. McLaurin, Mississippi. 
Senator McLaurin died December 22, 1909, and was succeeded by 
Senator Le Roy Percy, Mississippi.