The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-08-28
CANT Stop Emigration.
NO FUNDS TO KEEP CONTRACT LABoRERs
FROM LANDING.

New York, August 17.-Henry J.
Jackson, superintendent at Castle Gar
den, was the first witness examined
this morning by the Congressional
immigration committee at the West
minister Hotel. Generally speaking,
he said, the immigrants had of late
years been of better class, more in
telligent and better fitted to succeed in
their newly adopted country than the
immigrants in earlier times. This con-
clusion, of course, applied to the Eng
lish speaking people, Germans and
Swedes; he of course excluded there
from the Italians, Bohemians aud Pol
ish and Russian Hebrews, who had
been coming over in such large num-
bers the last two or three years.
MIR. Jackson detailed to the commit
tee at length the methods in vogue at
Castle Garden in handling the immi-
grants, the examination and DISPOSE
ton of them, and the precautions taken
to prevent improper persons being al
lowed to land permanently and be ad-
mitted to the country. lie said 354
persons were returned lest year; that
was all that ought to have returned so
far as the examination by the Castle
Garden authorities disclosed.
NOT FUNDS ENOUGH TO DO THE WORK.
Mr.. Jackson thought that the Castle
Garden officials were not empowered
to look after the detention of immi-
grants brought over under contract.
The Treasury Department had reques-
ed the authorities to take steps toward
having the law in this respect observed.
The witness had read some correspon-
ence with Secretary Fairchild on the
subject. Mr. Fairchild requested the
Garden authorities to do this, saying that
his department was unable to under
take the work because no appropriation
had been made to carry into effect the
law prohibiting the importation of
laborers urder contract. The Castle
Garden officials witr ess said, had not
sufficient funds to do this. He was of
the opinion that an attempt to exc
cute the law by asking immigrants if
they came here under contract would
be farcical.
The witness Thought the law gov
erning the Castle Garden authorities
was defective; the time allowed the
officials to determine whether an immi-
grant should be admitted was too
short; they could only detain an immi.
grant until the return of the steamer on
which he or she came ont, generally
| about week; the Collector Of the
Port was the official who ultimately
decided whether an immigrant whose
right to be admitted was questioned
should be permitted to land or not.
WHO ARE CONSIDERED PAUpERs.
Mr.. Jackson said he should not con
slider an able-bodied farm hand, mar
able to support himself by his labor
but who had no money, as paupei
and therefore liable TO be returned. Ht
would prefer such man TO an ordin
ary and perhaps physically weak CLERK
with 500 in his pocket He thought
the latter would be more likely to be
come public charge than the former
On the average he thought the immi
grants arriving in this country of late
years were better and more intelli
gent class than in former years. The
immigrants did not bring on an aver,
age, as much money as formerly, par
ticularly the Germans; the Immigrant
had, however, brought on an average
total of SS,0o0,0OO in money into tn,
country annually. The Slavs, Hungar
ians and Poles were not as desirabl,
immigrants in some respects as tn,
people OF other nationalities, but ther,
was this to be said about them: the,
never became charge ON the CAST,
Garden authorities after their arrival
they found a refuge and a living somc
where " tn their compatriots.
TO KEEP CRIMINALS OUT
AS to practical scheme by whicl
criminals could be kept from landing
Mr.. Jackson said the best suggestion
he had ever heard on that subject wa
that three months notice should b.
given by all foreigners of their inten
tion OF coming to this country. Can
tain Francis w. Bell, pilot of seven
teen years experience, testified that h
had knowledge of the practice of tw
men in this CITY named Charles Lock
wood and William Mckay IN securin
naturalization papers for natives G
Nova Scotia, and then placing them i
command of American vessels With
two weeks. Lockwood and McKa
received $40 head for the seryic,
Lockwood tod witness he was enable
to make citizens in the time mentione