The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-23
THE EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS

IMPORTANT TESTIMONY BEFORE THE LEGISLA-
TIVE COMMITTEE YESTERDAY SUGGESTIONS
PROM AN Ex-coMMIssIoNER.
The Legislative Investigating Committee held a
session as Castle Garden yesteriay-the longest
and most important session since 1t arrived In
town. Only one witness was examlned-ex Com
missioner Stephensou-and the examination &C.
cupied nearly i've hours.
MIR, stephenson stated that he went into once
In the year 1878, and wnen the committees were
appointed he was made Chairman OF the Wards
Island Committee. At the first inspection OF the
island he remembered that ne was told about the
church, and at the tins q suggestion was offered
that 1t would be well TO erect a new church for
those who did not belong to the Catholic
Church MIR. Stephenson said he would vote
for no such measure, and the subject was never
referred 10 again. Mr.. S:ephensons belief was
that the church was built for emlgrants not Tor
any sect or denomination; ana he believed It be-
longed TO the state, not 10 any Church. He at
tended conference with the steamship men, at
which the subject OF head money was spoken or
MIR. Stephenson was then and is now OF the opin-
ION that the Commission Gao be run at the rate
OF 81 90 per head for each emigrant he believes
that all public business should be done as men DO
their private business. as cheaply as possible, and
he would give $1,000 900 bond that he could do it.
In March, 1878, he mace lnOLlOn 10 Curlall eX-
penses out it was LAID over. Wnen lie entered
the Board he says It was In state
OF perfect disqualification. II disorganl-
zatIon can be called perfect. Each Com
missioner seemed TO act independently.
For instance, he would discharge an able bodied
man from the island 10 day for INSTRUMENTATION
and insulting language, and In few days he
would 20 back By the order OF some other Com
missioner After the March meeting, at which he
suggested the cuTtament Of expenses, no quorum
could be obtained Tor Six weeks and conse-
quontlY no action was taken IN the premises. He
also recommended In 1874 that the hospitals on
the island I've consolidated as there were then
ninety per cent less patients than In 1873. In the
motion he had the concurrence OF Drs. Chaplin,
Mann McMany and Ford. lie maze the sugges-
ton for the reason tnat coal, gas, &C., would
be saved by so doing. In some OF the
wards ntted up for thirty patients only
ak or seven were TO be found. his
motion was never acted upon during his term Of
office. He also asked to have the standing army
OF policemen, for whom there was no duty on the
island, reduced, and IL was done after much dis
cussion and delay. He also wanted 10 have the
larQe force OF CLERKS reduced in the winter time,
wnen no work was TO be done. Ia his opinion IL
could be done IN Castle Garden as ~ 10 done In the
Tax Once Hire tue clerks while the WORK was
big and when IL was over discharge them. 10 his
opinion no skilled labor In that branch OF the bus-
ntes was required; Ii was only the most ordinary
sort OF clerical work thar was demanded or the
men empoyed He also asked % have the large
force OF sweepers, VINO we're paid 81 day, around
Castle Garden discharged. the WORK could
have been done by any twenty OF the 200 able
bodied men tue Commissioners we're teedlng on