Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-01-10

ever, whom eold-hearted cruelty, or misery
calculation ship here, should, without exeep-
ton, be returned with humanity to their own
country.
The law of 1892 provides that any justice
of the peace may cause this to be done. We
need legislation that shall make this duty i'm
perative, not merely permissive, and that shall
place it into the hands of the proper officers.
To small extent, the present law has been
acted on; but those who are best competent
to judge are Of the opinion, that, if it should
be amended, so as to make it the duty Of the
selectmen or overseers of the poor of the sew
eral towns, under suitable penalties, to send
such persons to the Board OF Commissioners
of Alien Passengers at Boston, and to require
that Board to return them to the country from
whence they came, we should soon be relieved
from the charge of half the inmates of
our State Almshouses. Moreover, ii it is
known that we systematically return all who
are thus thrust upon our sympathies, the cruel
custom Of sending them hither viii doubtless
soon cease. The average expense of support
ing an alien pauper is not far from sixty dollars
per annum; the cost of sending them to Liv-
erpool, whence most of them come would not
exceed twenty dollars each, including COM
Portable outfit.
s. The Board of Alien Commissioners now
consists of the Alien Passenger Agent, the
Auditor, and one member Of the Executive
Council, and its annual gross receipts are about
fifty thousand dollars. Practically its duties
fall on the first named. They are too onerous
and too responsible to be entrusted to any one
mans hands. The last Alien Passenger Agent
fell victim to the labors and exposures of his
Office. The present one is often called on to
toll fourteen or sixteen hours per day. There
are condded TO his sole judgment and faith
fulness the power of demanding OF dispensing
with heavy bonds Of indemnity, and of ad-
iusting the Communication tax, thousands of
dollars higher or lower on a single cargo of
immigrants. a reorganization nf this board
Is recommended, causing it to be composed Of
persons solely devoted to its duties, and act
ing as check on one another.
8. The question as to the best method of
caring for our alien paupers. IS one Of great
moment. Until May last, all paupers unable
to labor. and having no settlement within the
State, were taken charge of by the various
towns where they happened to be, which
towns received from the Commonwealth forty
nine cents per week for adults, twenty eight
cents for children, and an additional discre-
tionary remuneration for lunatcs and thuse
sick with contagious diseases. Three years
ago, the Legislature decided to change the
system, and to erect State Almshouses. where
all Alien paupers should be sent and provided
! for at the cost of the Commonwealth. In
May, 1854, the buildings. four in number,
were ready for occupancy, and the change
took place.
The chief benefits ofthe new system are, the
separation of foreign paupers from our own
American poor, and the avoidance of constant
conflict between the town and State authori-
ties as to the amount of compensation which
led to numerous appeals to the Legislature,
and the waste of much of its valuable time.
lis greatest defect, besides tn large outlay
! for the necessary lands and buildings, is the
greatly increased cost to the State of support
ing their inmates. The expense to the com
muLity, however, may not be greater now than
before. The additional cost, beyond the per
capita paid by the State fell on the towns
formerly, but now the State Treasury sus-
tains the whole Without deciding the ques-
ton whether the change was, on the whole,
desirable, concerning which there is great diff.
ference of opinion 1t is certain that the new
system should now be fairly tested 1t is al
so our present duty to see if any legislation is
needed to improve or eeonomize the new plan.
The Reports of the various Boards of Inspec-
tors will be laid before you at an early day,
and viii doubtless contain valuable sueges-
tons.
The cost of the new Almshouses has been
$24l,75S. The edifces are poorly built, bad
ly ventilated and heated, faulty in their plan
of construction, not provided with needful
supply of water, and unless very consider
able outlay is made on them, will be in a
short time in a ruinous condition. They are
no credit to the State. They have no suit
able workshops, and from twenty to thirty
stoves and furnaces are situzted in each main
building, rendering the danger of fire very
great.
Industry should be rigidly enforced on all
who are able to perform even the lightest
species of labor, both for the benefit of the in
mates, and to reduce the cost of their support
whether agricultural or mechanical industry
should mainly be attended to, the Legislature
will determine Sufficient workshops should
be provided, and separate buildings for cook
ing, the fire OF which might be sufficient for
laundry purposes; and to heat the main edi-
hces by steam, Nigh perhaps prove trugecon-
omy. No one can think of conhagration
| breaking out in one of them, filled with six
or eight hundred persons, many Of whom are
sick, aged, lame or blind, without shudder
The average cost per week to the State un.
| der the old system was about forty cents for
, each person; but, for the first seven months
under the new, it has been nearly three times
that sum. The most rigid economy should
be insisted on, enforced by every check and
l restriction your wisdom may deem desirable.
Every advantage should be taken of the mar
ket IN purchasing supplies; and suggest for
| your consideration, whether advertising for
| proposals, or the appointment of purchasing
| agent Tor all the State Institutions, might not
be desirable. There is reason to believe that
| the average cost per week has been consider.
ably enhanced by circumstances natural at
first, and that it can be, hereafter, materially
reduced.
| But partial means of information have been
within my reach during the limited time at
my disposal. | have plainly spoken nv pres
ent convictions; and il is but just to add, they
may be modified by further investigation.
| renewedly commend the whole subject of the
| support and occupation OF the alien paupers
to your especial attention.
! Your judicious but decided action on the
important subjects thus briefly stated will
necessarily be felt beyond the limits of Massa
chusetts. 1t will affect the legislation of other
States, and to some extent, probably, inAu-
enee the proceedings OF Congress itself. We
wish our army Americanized, our navy Ma
tionalized. We wish the restriction as to birth.
now applicable to the office of President, ex-
tended to members of the Cabinet and of Con.
9ress, to the Judges OF the Supreme Court,
aud to all our diplomatic representatives
abroad. We desire vital amendment of the
naturalization laws, and a uniform REQUIRE
ment OF twenty-one years residence in the