New-York tribune., 1886-05-16
CONTRACT LABOR IMPORTED
EvAD!NG TIE LAX IMMIGRATION LAW.
COMMISSIONER STEPHENSON PowERLEss TO CHECK
THE EyII-APPEALING TO HIM FOR HELP.

COMMISSIONER STEPHENSON PowERLEss TO CHECK
THE EvIL-APPEALGNG To HIM FOR HELP
Professor Felix Adler, in his address on
Anarchy" at Chickerng II al last sunday before the
society oi Ethical Culture, said that the American em-
plovers aud corporations were 20 blame for tho
demonstrations az Chicago and Milwaukee. they having
bro Igh this illterate foreign element ato the country
because it Wiling 70 work cheap anu could ne used
to underbA the American laborcr IN his own market.
Most OF the rioous element in the cities being
composed OF Poles and Boheri ms inquiry was mao ~
a TRIBUNE reporter at Castle GaIdon concerning the
nature o, immigration OF these nationatles ana
whether Professor Adlers allegation was well fOuhdei.
BY records kept in the Garden it was shoT Tn that the
Poles landed at port since l3l7 have been IN rouno
numbers 30 OOo while since 1874 when the CONT began
10 be kept o; the BOhemians, 10000 OF tos nationally
were recorded The highest number Of either race
reached In any one year 1851, when 56li Poles
and 96s3 Bohemians were landed
superntenden Jackson told the reporter thar he had
no knowledge Of any roles. Bohemians or any other
nationality having brought over under CONTRACT
to 20 TO work this side, except a small Osnd Ok
German musicians about eighty Scotch stone cutters
and possibly some Italians obtained b. their own
countrymen TO get work on this side.
course" said Mr.. Jackson, it IL qu'e likely thes
many have come over have slipped through tns
Garden but do not know that such Is The case"
Emigration Commissioner Stephenson was better in-
formed on tie subject than NJ Jackson although he
that not aware OF any nslalcos WucEe tua
Contract law had violated by the Importation
Of Poles and Bohemlans. lam OF the opinion now
ever" said, that Professor Adler was about re 10
making that statement Ny attention has been .riwh
to tnis )ject OF the import ton OF contract l.bof by
several Instances of the kind that have recently cone %
the surface ia Castle Garden. Lat nghtt committee
o.,,,rkers from the Chelsea Jue Mills called upon ne
at my house and present ed the following letter.
Edotaa Stephenson, Commissioner p hn'grat'2n.
DEAR t has come 20 tue notice % the udefsiy1ei
that Ne j 4 l.
foot West Twenty fourth and Twenty II "a sts aaye
contracted with several parties in scotland for help 10
take the paC several OF their employees now ana fJr
the past seven weoks strike In violation o theact ~
lean, oorn wlo served them faithfully for the past
nine years SIX persons wno arrived on tHe E'nopis
last week passage PAID and under contract ssnei on ts
other side OF TIE Atlantic were tikcn out oI taa'Ie
Garden entered as going u the Brshtoa Mis-, owha
the firm and put to work Ia the chelsea srVeta.
more will arrive in the AncnOra ana tho c-'.ls pt
Georgia knoTns the MA 'tanG , you nnye =
rights AMI welfare OF the people ot IN eiy ws
duty to acluant you IN your Official caI aeiy
VII" IS Tc'1piv. Tomnittee Chelsea Tute Mills Unipn
JOIN y. FALLON. Charinan.-
have made strenuous efforts recently added Mr..
Stephenson, to induce the Commission TO act upon
these palpable violations OF the statute The United
states DstrictAtotney and the United states 'Ohhis'
soaers to attention these unlawful acts were
drawn refused to Interfere IN the matter, SO drew up
resolution and offered It at tue eetng OF the Connns-
sion The gst OF this res ati that all immigrants
against whom sufficient evidence could De oDtshci %
contract to work snoua not oe peI.D.to" 30 '. % as
should be 0ack whence they came. Vo'cb 'oho
In favor OF the resolution, the other commissioners
Al ng that not Ia the Jurisdiction o. the Enfri.
tion Commission 10 t0ucn tnis matter. IneA lWdh'ed
tns Commission prOnit the landing ~ .uch an inni'
grant get his friends out VIII OF tea' corpus
and matter into court for test case Dnt e,el
this the Commls ,on refu,e to do rne tact Is; the
S0mnls7o9 rinss @ feel as IL it YOU'D be wises. pubic
uollcv n II were ripped entirely ami rIopapiy many
important questions would then be settled wneh ~ IN,
present soveny way OF Going things At Castle Garden
uttery ne ected The public should see the abi--s
thele / them and tney would call 'or a change
We're any other Instances of imported contrac1
There were numberless Instances. Recently eiahs
scotch girls were brought over oy the Clty OF Rome;
BY cident discovered that tney hl slsued
a contract before leaving scotland win an agent d
twenty one shlings week. from when = week Vas
TO be Withheld until they had paid their passage money
which advanced them by the agent. Ihey na neea
III .kng ten snlines week at h9me; iI'ey hsa @ nova
dollar when they landed In Castle Garden. lhelJ tsen
ana unless employers gave ne written 2uHhnteo
sho llJ send them all back To Dundee Well py shi oy
the Paterson people nnding they could not se the irs
anv Other wuv signed written guarantee that ihey
week Tor at least year. Then let them 20 can ctu
mind also anothe party % my rse a 7eUen ers
under a contract to work FOE Paterson 'ik factory;
As the present law was not on tne s.a.ue oyoA, h,n
could not keep them in the Garden Recently whe1 10
ashing IN company Win sui eSihtenuoh,
called on ,tng secretary OF the Treasury Faircal in
relation to the continued violations ot thel statute
said Sr. secretary tne trouble Is In the tact mat ,he
is nobody to euorce the law, ne s5ooA Ills Ao'i anu
said. rhst seems about the size OF II. a.. -,
William Connolly. superintendent OF the liDOr
Rure,u AL Castle Garden, said that though they dd nos
Drny their oOntracts written out with tAem ne couIi
safely take oath that great many laDoreis cano
over having had their passage pait Dy agents o hucF
lean EMPLOYERS am positive said he that drOVes
OF chea contract aborers have been brought over mere
within The last by employers who wanted "a
ntepare FOR the anticipated labor troubles GROWING Ou
~ he demand of American wOrknen Tor shorter hours Ot
work can't say that name any artl' HlSr IN
stance where Immigrants were Poles or bOhemahss
uue.s be the the CleRried mining operators
who sent their agents into the middle OF Europe Win
pronises plenty work and by paying the passages
| of the men, sent over number or HunSarlaus ahi
Poles These men with their families went through ina
Garden and Pennsy yania whore they soon filted
bigger row than whose places they took ono
reason why nothing done 70 carry out the statute
| against importing pauper labor under contract IS
because II ia weakly drawn and easily To DC Graded.
Tho United states District Attorney has had ny
attention called several instances of the violation OK
| THIS law but he did not do anything" .
DO many of the folcs ana bohcnlans seoA '"' "''~
! ia your Bureau r. A. -, 900
! mo Last year / found employment for only JOY
Hung arians, BobemiaDs Poles and Russians. tney sle
mostly men who from crowded cities on tno ysnos
side aud they want live Ia elites ON ths siue Anoy
will not work u farm while thay can lnaAc n'.,.s
pedling about the They are accustomeu W nss
fng agiators In tho European cies and tnoS roao.v
imhibs tho dOctrlDes they hear here ANU soout ~
months after they land rsbii against tAsts
here as against tho nobility that oppressed tuom ~
home"