New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-22
PAUPER IMMIGRATION.
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION IN PITTS
BURG.
CHAIRMAN FORD SPEAKS OF FIVE HUNDRED
VIOLATIONS OF LAw-coNTRAcT LABohEfs
WHO GO BACK TO EUROPE WHEN
THE SEASON is OVER


WHO GO BACK TO EUROPE WIEN
THE SEASON is OVER
pittsburr Dec o1-The Congress sionsl immigration
Investigation Committee began It's session here today
The committee represented by Congressman NJ H.
Ford Of Michigan, chairman, and Congressman Ken
ard Guenthcr of Wisconsin. There were also present
Judge simmons special agent Of tho Treasury DO
partmcnt; Il. T. Merrincld, sergeant alarms, aud
James Fisher, secretary aud official stcnoGapher
Robert C. Elliott chief Of the Bureau of Charities :;
Judge william Ramsey. former chairman Of the Poor
Board and George Hoffman, examiner OF the Depart
ment OF Charities, testified I'm the forenoon Ellott
said that insane people and decreplt ana ignorant
class of people applied for relief to great extent
who should have been admitted into Inc couh-
try. He recIted twenty-five cases, some Of them
criminal OF people who had come here from foreign
countries against the provisions of law. one case
WAS that of an Englishman who had killed British
officer Another was that Of an English woman who
had been brought here by her beTayer ana aDan-
doncd She was taken 10 the Poor Farm on OCTOBER
70, 1887 went insane, and still remains there. sDe
has cost the city thus far 81 $50, and as she Is
strong woman and may live many years. she may ooS'
the city SO 900 or 81, 900 before she dies. An
other case was that of foreigner who had served at
Dlackwelrs Island and after leaving there had pesh
shipped from Castle Garden to Pittsburg. Aier no
was taken to tho Poor Farm, stolen goods were Iouu
In his possession He then admitted that ne hau ocoh
|
situations are crowded to overlooking, but II II were
not for the foreigners who not entitled to lana
here, there would be plenty of room for the care Vi
those who were justly entitled to care
Judge Ramsey's testimony was a corroooralion Vi
that of Mr. Elliott Examiner Hoffman said he had
seen Immigrants with brands OF a foreign "orA-
house tcketcd to different parts Of the country anu
that the immigrants had applied to the Bureau Oh
Charity for relief the day after arriving at Castlo
Garden.
Tho afternoon session devoted to taking testi-
mony regarding the importation Of contract labor
The witnesses examined were Master workman Eccies
Robinson Of the BrasswOrkers' National Assembly )
Master Workman Doyle, OF District Assembly NO 81
Knights of Labor; President Smith. OF the Flint Glass
Workers Union; and James Campbell and william
Cake president and secretary Of tho Window-Glass
Workers Federation Tho evidence went to show
that men had come to this country under contract In
many cases. to work against skilled labor. Master-
Workman Robinson said that tho men employed on
the pipe limos and railroads hereabouts were mostly
Hungarians, Italians and swodes He had been IN
formed by Pennsylvania Railroad official that about
500 immigrants camo here every week in tho spring
and summer. These mporatons had the effect OF
decreasing the value Of labor.
District Master Workman Doyle stated that he had
known OF the importation Of contract LABOR IN west
moreand and Fayette Counties. They are blocks tone
cutters and over here from Wales and scotland
| In the spring. returning In the ian. Incy ncNer
| become American citizens. He had reason to believe
that Hungarians Italians and Swedes were imported
for work on the railroads and pipe lines. They como
I'm groups and as If their destination was pre-
arranged Fifteen or twenty years ago. irish,
Germans and negroes did the work on railroads ana
they were citizens Tho Italians. Hungarans and
Swodes do not become citizens. They do not ENJOY
home such as The average American workingman has.
They have no family tics here and they live ike hogs
Their class Of food is great deal worse than that OF
/ the American wOrkngman.
| 81 saw them" said he. in the ditch with piece
Of bread and raw bacon for their meal They are not
Intelligent and an American cannot compete
With them, they do not know "hat
days work IS and arc imposed by their en-
| ployors. The effect Of the mportatons has been
very bad Wages in places are as low as IS
cents a day and a large number Of American work
| ngnen arc tramplng the country"
| President Campbell, OF the Glassworkers fedcra~
ton, said that they had no trouble since the Inter
Previous TO that time they had trouble with employers
! I'm Ottawa. Ill. Baltimore and New-Jersey, who We're
importing labor President Smith, OF the Flint Glass
NILS, Penn who was importing contract laDor. lie
said that no had affidavit from Thomas Latham
wanted to quit work on November IS, SD was, ne
Quoted from his wages 70 pay his PASSAGE RON
England. lie had been hired with four others to
| como ~ this country 10 work.
This completed tho evidence and the session al
journed. Tho members Of tho Commission VIII start
FOR Detroit IN the morning They seemed ven sails
| Chairman Ford I'm speaking OF #. said
"The evidence shows an alarming state OF ataS, so
FAR as the panpeS and insane are concerned; IL Is
been 700 OF such immigrants brought TO this section
alone the law went into effect and contrary TO
its provisions"