Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-27
ITALIAA IMMIGRATION.
Warehouses Monaco's Interesting
 Testimony.
THE CONTRACT LABOR EVIL.

No Way to Prevent the Landing of Ln-
 bOrers Under Contract-NEost Of Them
 are Brought Over for Work on Rail-
 roads-How Contractors Bleed the ImmiS grants.
 l NEW YORK, July T.-The investigation into tho immigrant business was resumed this morning at the Westminster Hotel by the Congressional Committed. It had been rein forced by the arrival of Congressman Oates. i John B. Cortis, of the Cunard line, was the first witness. Like his predecessors, he was provided with an array of statistics. His tes- timony showed the amazing increase of immi- grafton from 1888. when the line brought Il, ,55S immigrants here, to the present yeur, l when during the first six months 21 ,194 steer 1 age passengers were landed. i MT. Cortis insisted that no more than ten or twelve tickets had been..sold to one person at time, but like the steamship agents who had preceded him he admitted that there is no sure means of preventing the landing of persons employed under the contract labor system.
 ] He gave some idea of the extent of the traffic in prepaid tickets vended to immi- grants when he admitted that from July 'S7 i to July SS, 4 200 of them were sold. During that year 2S,000 steerage passengers were landed here by the line which the witness represents.
 They were chiefly English, Irish, Scotch, and Scandinavians, with very few Italians. Occasionally animmigrant comes over whom it is necessary to return. The number aver uges twelve or fifteen a year. He said that inc Irish Emigrant Society is one of the agen- cicS of his line
 At this juncture Congressman Guenther took Il hand in the investigation. He said that he had heard that the Irish Emigrant Society was organized not particularly for benevolent purposes like other similar organizations, but with the aim of making a profit out of immigrant business. MT. Cortis said that he did not know whether or not this is true.
 Vernon H. Brown, general agent of the Cunard line, was the next witness. His testimony was in the main corroborative of ! what had been adducedl from previous wit ! ucSSes.
 He explained that the great rush of immi grants this year has been due to the unprom-
 sing condition of the crops. An impending war in Europe always causes an increase of immigration.
 Antilio Monaco the Italian Vice Consul, a slender man with thick black beard care fully trimmed to point at the chin, was the most interesting witness Of the day.
 He spoke in mild tone, and told about tho dcplorable condition of the contract h. bor system as carried on by unprincipled 1 Italians, who deceive their victims with fulso l reports to tho alleged prospective condi- 1 tiun ot affairs here.
 1 He admitted that large number of 1tal- l nns come here penniless. Thirty per cent. of them are skilled laborers, fifty per cent. 1 IrC farmers, and the rest common day la 1 bOrcrs.
 1 He said that he has frequently to furnish money to destitute Italians and that his Gov 1 arm mi rNpAOtlN- poh hlnA G1 tp Ror 1 Fauva at Washington to be distributed among | indigent Italians here.
 The Vice Consul said that the Italian Pre- mier does not restrict him ns to the funds he shall dispense among the indigent immi- grants of his nationality.
 He related deplorable state of the doings of the contractors who import immigrants from Italy. Many of them have banks at Null berry Bend, with a saloon in the rear.
 The mon come in herds and have to pay the contractors from S4 to S25 above tho cost of their passages. This must como out of their arst wages.
 | Most of the new corners are single men or have left their families in the old country. They have to pay exhOrbitant shanty rent when at work on railroa Is, and are assessed for doctors fees whether sick or not. A num- Der of bricklayers and men of that class como over to work here during the busy season, and return to Italy in tho fall.
 It is common occurrence for contractors. having lured Italians here and collected the outrageous fees demanded by them, to dis charge their victims and leave them stranded. Hundreds of the men imported by these un- principled contractors are, the ice-COnSul
 said, unable to get work at all and during his
 three years service hero he has had to assist
 1000 or 5000 destitute immigrants.
 He admitted that he knows the names of
 kI &I~
 their victims, but he refused to give them.
 He gave some interesting facts about the
 banking system as practised by some of the Italians here. He said that his countrymen are frugal and have faith in savings banks.
 But" said he sadly, "it often happens
 that the banks run away. These banks are
 not governed by State laws. Three have failed this year. There was De Yoanne: I don't know where he is now. Duranti, another , banker, went to that popular resort, Canada l and Mastrevalerio, who was swindled by the other two bankers, is now in New York" Vice-Consul Monaco declared that the Ital- Ian immigrants are peacable and that the i'm. , pressiOn that they are too ready with the ] stilleto and other weapons of warfare is un. founded. In the earlier days of the traffic some rather tough characters came over and to their conduct must be attributed the criti. csms which have been passed on the Italian immigrants in general.
 t At least one-half of them can read and 8 write, and the majority come here with the 8 intention of remaining. The witness was
 sorry to admit that the people from the Soutt ] of Italy arc more ignorant than those from s the North.
 l "The dangerous characters" said the bland a Vice-Consul, frequently como here on first class tickets"
 . As an illustration of the crowded condition 8 of the Italian quarter, the witness said tha t 25 900 people of his nationality are crowded s into the cramped area of Mulberry Bend D There arrive hereevery year about 30, 900 Ital |, ian immigrants, and from 2,O00 to 5000 art now out of work. The witness said that th' S average immigrant from his land will liv, . here on 50 cents q day.
 d Do you --now of any considerable mum n Der of your people having been imported her 7. at one time under the contract systemp > asked Congressman Ford. q "Yes, 800 or 400 at time. A great man,