Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-02
IMMIGRATION.
Some Interesting Facts From Super
tntendent Jackson.

Some Interesting Facts From SUPER
tntendent jackson.
Mr.. Henry J. Jackson, Superintendent
at Castle Garden, was the first witness
examined this morning by the Congress
sional Immigration Committee at the
Westminster Hotel. Generally speaking,
he said, the immigrants had of late years
been of better class, more intelligent
and better fitted to succeed in their
newly adopted country than the immi-
grants in earlier times. This con-
clusion, of course, applied to the
English-speaking people, Germans and
Swedes, etc. He OF course excluded
therefrom the Italians, Bohemians,
and Polish and Russian Hebrews who
had been coming over in such large
numbers the last two or three years.
Mr.. Jackson detailed to the committee
at length the methods in vogue at Castle
Garden in handling the immigrants, the
examination and disposition of them,
etc., and the precautions taken to pre-
vent improper persons being allowed to
land permanently and be admitted to the
country. He said 354 persons were re-
turned last year; that was all who
ought to have been returned so far as the
examination by the Castle Garden
authorities disclosed. The witness
thought the law governing the Castle
Garden authorities was defective; the
time allowed the officials to determine
whether an immigrant should be ad-
mitted was too short; they could only
detain an immigrant until the return Of
the steamer on which he or she came
out, generally about week; the Col
lector of the port was the official who
ultimately decided whether an immi-
grant, whose right to be admitted was
questioned, should be permitted to land
or not.
Mr.. Jackson said he should not con-
slider an able bodied farm hand, a man
able to support himself by his labor,
but who had no money, as pauper, and
therefore liable to be returned; he would
prefer such man to an ordinary and
perhaps physically weak clerk with $100
in his pocket; he thought the latter
would be more likely to become public
charge than the former; on the average,
he thought the immigrants arriving in
this country of late years were better
and more intelligent class than in former
years; the immigrants did not bring, on
the average, as much money as formerly,
particularly the Germans; the immi-
grants had, however, brought on an
average total of So, 600, 900 in money into
the country annually; the Slavs, Hunga.
rians and Poles were not as desirable
immigrants in some respects as the peo-
pie of other nationalities but there was
this 10 be said about them, they never
became charge on the Castle Garden
authorities after their arrival: they
found a refuge and living somewhere
with their compatriots.
The Committee next went into the
question of the baggage-express scandal
at Castle Garden. A John Wood was
awarded the contract on January l,
1884, and Wood appeared and signed the
contract, but the witness said he never
saw him afterwards, and did not know
where he lived or anything about him.
Philip Biglin was Woods superintendent
and ran the business; he was a brother
of Bernard Barney Biglin, the present
contractor, who secured the virtual
contract last July. The witness specified
the various prices fixed by the Commits
sioners to be charged by the express
men these prices have already been
published; they are very extortionate,
considering the amount Of business
monopolized under the contract; the wit
ness thought that the average amount
received by Biglin for each piece of bag
gage handled was 40 cents; the number
of pieces handled last year was 240, 900;
Biglin's contract was revokable at the
pleasure of the Commissioners.
The money changing or brokerage
privilege at Castle Garden was next in
quired into. The sum of 81 800 is paid
to the Commission at present for this
privilege. Mr.. Jackson said that the
rates Of exchange are posted up in four
places in the Garden, and the agent is
expected to charge the current rates in
accordance with the fluctuations of Wall
the bulletin boards in accordance there
lieved the Garden broker changed his
in Wall street, as he was supposed to do
The Castle Garden Railroad pool af-
fairs we're next inquired into. Mr.. jack
son eaid that under the new arrange
ment existing in the Garden an immi-
grant could 60 by any route he desired,
and he was not compelled to be sepa-
eated from his family, as was sometimes
formerly the case. There was railroad
rate war now in existence, and immi-
grants to-day could go to Chicago for So,
to Detroit for So, to st. Paul for $40, to
San Francisco for $3S 25, to New Orleans
for $l9, Is, to Milwaukee for $7.55, and to
Syracuse, Rochester. Buffalo or Pitts
burg for So.
Mr.. jackson said he did not know of
any baggage men. weighers, and others,
demanding fees from immigrants; if any
were found doing 80 they would be dis
charged; the rules were very strict on
that point; they were posted all over the
Garden, and every effort was made to en-
force them.
Mr.. jackson said the authorities had
not room enough at Castle Garden to
properly examine, care for and accommo-
date the immigrants; he thought Gov
ernor's Island would be an excellent
place for the purpose.
Superintendent Jackson next told the
committee what had been done by the
Emigration Commissioners and himself
in the endeavor to enforce the provisions
of the contract labor law. Now the
Castle Garden authorities do nothing in
that direction, as they have not the
means to enforce the law. They do not
even ask the immigrant if he has come
out under contract; he did not be-
lieve any immigrant would admit
that he had come out here ard
was attempting to land in violation Of a
United States law; the Castle Garden
authorities could ask immigrants the