The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-14
THE EMIGRATION COMMISSION.

IMPORTANT sEn-MoNrHLY MEErNG-THE
SERIOUS FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AGAIN
UNDER OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FIGHT MADE
AGAINST THE COMMISSION AT ALBANY-sTILL
RESOLVED 10 PROTECT THE EMIGRANT.
The Commissioners OF Emigration heic a stated
meeting yesterday afternoon a the Board rooms
In Castle Garden, President Forrest in the chair.
A committee, consisting OF Messrs. HurIbut,
starr and Setback, was appointed to visit Wards
Island on Saturday next to confer with the Har-
Dor Commissioners, who VIII be in attendance. in
reference 10 an exchange Of some sites owned by
the Emigration Commission.
commissioner Starr drew tire attention OF the
Board TO the necessity OF making some effort TO
net q favorable consideration at Albany for the
claims OF the Emigration Commission Tor financial
assistance IN It's present embarrassment. He
moved the appointment OF a committee 10 consider
what reduction, ii any, might be made by the lop-
ping-ofr oil some or the bureaus in their entirety.
TO this Commissioner Stevenson objected, say
Ing thas the subject OF leauction was already
before the Committee on Wards Island, and he
moved that the matter be referred 10 Joint COM
mittee OF toe Wards Island and Finance COM
mtiees.
Commissioner Lynch then said I'VE cannot
close our eyes the fact that financial embarrass
ment still rests upon u.s. Our hospital establish
ment, which TO day contains $50 patients, must be
sustained. There Is not money on hand to pay for
food and medicines and the doctors are obliged 10
take our due bills IN part payment OF their sal
aries. our sympathetic friends, the foreign steam
snip owners, III lner interview with The Mayor,
SAID that tins city should encourage commerce by
itself bearing all the burden OF the wards Island
establishments. How klndl These estmaple gen.
tlemen from abroad ought, on the same principle,
to ask for docks, ee labor, Tree carriage, free
stores, &C.. all 70 be supplied oy the taxpayers OF
the city OF New York. or course they. the steam
snip men, would render Qud pro quo by contrib
utng TO the commerce OF the port and city. Now
uOn'C believe In the claim TO dstn eresLedness made
by these gentlemen. 1 do Deiieve that their only
object Is TO make money Tor themselves aud their
companies; and almost all the money they do
make goes abroad, and IS there added 10 the
weaGn OF the capitalists who own the lines. Everv
steamer trading between New YORK ana European
ports is OF II SYN build and owned abroad. THIS
TACT, however. nds. be charged 10 the legislators
10 Washington raose larilf ana revenue laws are
almost all In the interest OF foreign countries, aud
seem 10 have been especially enacted Tor the OPP
preston OF citizens or the Un1ted states. TINS
commission or ours Is state INSTITUTION. we
Commissioners. acting for the state and Tor the
races TO which we belong. give our time TO the
benefcent work without lee, salary or reward OF
any KIND. 1t is disgrace TO the Legislature that
we are not receiving prorer aid from that body
In our efforts 10 carry on all the good
works contemplated by law that should
be carried on. The lobby OF those VINO
oppose us Is still Kept up in Albany. Our enemies
have put little dellcacy az TO whom they employ
TO act as lobby agents. Az one time they take
lawyer VINO was attorney, at another they
take person who had been clerk III thus office.
and now they nave our late secretary TO render
them ali the assistance he can. The la ter gentle
man seems 70 have taken up his residence at the
State Capitol, and 10 nave taken himself 10 talk
lug for Albany and newspaper writing Tor New
YORK. TINS gentleman has PAID his respects TO all
the Commissioners, but to me individually ne has
shown marked attention. lie tells the world
through the HERALD or March 20 that my state
ment before toe Commerce and NAVIGATION Com
mlttee was "entlrely Incorrect and untrue.n He
knew better. | was In my statement entirely
correct and truthful lie appeared before q CON-
mittee OF The senate against my society OBTAIN
ing its just rights; SAID that the members were
limited IN numbers; that they died their
vacancies and represented no one put themselves;
that It's President was the cause oil eXtravagance
IN the Board, instanclng the meeting OF Marcn IL.
1874. In This statement OF his he suppressed the
truth. He knew that, for the best OF reasons and
In tue interest OF economy, lett the Board that
day; and he further knew tnat, at the very next
meeting, was present ana dld my share OF the
work with will in reducing the expenses, even
TO aoollshlng his Old once OF $4,000 year. This
he did NOT tell; bur, ike saarp lawyer, he Is
doing everything fair aud unfair Tor ms clients.
Tue last time ne showed me attention was IN the
Irish American or the l0ih inst. In that paper ne
acts unfairly IN dealing with ngures. calls me als-
ingenious, aud says taat l permit myself TO be
made an instrument In your hands. But he gives
me creait for good intentions. Well. ought to be
gra eu Tor all tie KIND words OF patronage he mas
bestowed upon me; and, having Tor nun all the
charity In the world, / wiz LEI him 90 his way
viii close by telling YOU what my society thinks OF
my conduct In regard TO all these matters and by
adding lew figures OF statistics
Commissioner Lynch then submitted a resolu-
tioa showing that at meetings OF he irish EmRra.
tIon Society ne was Insructel TO 90 all that ne
possibly could to promote the passage OF the bills
then before the Legislature one OF which was 10
restore the presidents OF the irish and German
Emigration societies 10 iull power at the Board;
a second bill appropratng $500. 600 Tor the Emgra-
ton Commission. and a lhird, making an increase
OF The cCmmutation tax 10 81 per PASSENGER.
Commissioners Lynch also stated that at the last
annual meeting OF the society he represented,
held on the stu inst, be was unanimously re.
elected President-a TACT he mentioned as snow
Ing he opinion OF the Irish society in regard to
the part be had taken In seeking TO aid the com.
mission. me Commissioner also presented a
resolution passed Oy his society endorsing
his action explicitly IN working 10 have
the Communication TAX raised to So and 10 nave
money borrowed by the Commissioners TO meet
continued 10 say The rate OF passage from ireland
was. from 1860 10 1864, $50 tgodl per nead in
1855 the rate was So, currency; from 1866 1862
$40 In currency; IN 1870, s31, currency; Ia 1871,
S35 currency IN 1872 SS4, currency; IN 1873 $32,
currency. These were the times wnen the steam
ship companies were coming money ana tneY had
formed a combination TO elect that purpose; but
the combination having Ueen broken up the
gers rom Europe at SIS mead. There
an important point not generally known
In this connection, and IL was this
the steamship companies made no difference
tween emgran,s and passengers travelling IN the
steerage VINO had been IN TINS country before, and
the latter class were now Iully nalf OF tho whole
NUMBER OF arrivals and could not be classed as
emigrants.
Commissioner stevenson next made some re-
marks aud was followed by Commissioner starr
and others. The subject dis used in q gen.
eral way. the speakers, as one OF them remarked
going over points already known TO the public In
several forms. Finally Inc motion was adopted
Tor reference 10 the JOINT committee OF the Wards
Island and Finance committees ana q committee
consisting Of Messrs. Lyncn, Scnaack, starr aud
strong, protest against the attacks recently made
BY outsiders on the commission.