The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-26
Number OF Foreigners
That Land at Castle Garden.
How Steamship Agents Work to
Bring the People Hero.
An Italian Says That Flaming Post
ers Are Put Up Promising Inn
mediate Employment to Those
Who Come to America.


this morning at 10 o'clock. Chairman
Melbourne II. Ford, Of Michigan, and
Congressman W. W. Morrow, OF Caliior.
mia, and Richard Guenther of Wisconsin,
were the only members OF the committee
present, but Gen. Spinola and Congress.
man Oats are expected tomorrow. The
commissioners Of immigration were not
present at the opening Of the inquiry, nor
was anyone else there TO represent Castle
Garden. The iint witness To take the
chair was T.. l.. Boas, passenger agent of
the Hamburg line OF steamers. lie was
questioned about tho manner in which
his company transacted its passenger bust
ness. He said that his company had some
5000 agents in this country, aud about 10
per cent OF these agents sales We're pre-.
paid passage tickets, sold 10 friends and
relatives for people in Europe. In New
York the company has about seventy
five agents, all paid commissions,
and they sell about 10 per cent.
Of the emigrant tickets sold here In New
York. The witness never knew ol tickets
being sold IN quantities 10 any one person,
nor the employment agencies. lie could
not tell what was the highest number ever
sold 10 any one person. About 10 per
cent. oi the passengers brought here by
his line OF steamers are cmigrants. During
the past five years they had landed 2Ob,-
2lb cmigrants at Castle Garden. The
company's agents sell tickets from any
point in Europe 10 any point Ia this coun.
Try. About onc-thrd OF the cmigrants
brought by his line stop here in New
York and the balance 90 20 points farther
west. Every man who buys ticket has
10 present passport showing that he Is
allowed TO cmigratc and has not commit.
ted any crime. The company, he said,
takes great pains 10 inspect all passengers
Ia order that none shall come over Who
would not lie allowed to land here.
Mr.. Boas was questioned closely 10y
each one Of the committeeman on the
passport question, aud acknowledged that
the principal point dwclt on In the docu'
ment was whether or not tho wonld'bt
emignnt was liable for military service.
lie said that all the steamship lines held
a conference periodically, aud that one Of
the rules Of this conference was that no
agent should be- allowed Ia sell tickets on
credit or on the installment plan.
Mr.. lIoas said that most Of the llunga-
rian emigpnis are common lahOrcn, the
lIohcmians arr about evenly divided he
tween agricultural aud common laborcrs,
and the Poles are almost 10 q unit common
labocn[ The Poles, he said, mostly 60
10 Buffalo or Chicago.
Mr.. Coycly wa the second witness eN.
amined. The committee devoted especial
attention 20 the Mediterranean business
done by this company Mr. COycly stated
that the following Italian omigranis had
been brought here by his line IN the years
named: 1857, lO3B, 1884, 2,ijS, 1885,
3, 40; 1889, 6,b9l; 1887. li,2ls.
Tho majority of prepaid tickets from
Italy, he said, were sold 10y the Italian
bankers in New York. They have a sys.
TEN Of their own, q sort Of wildcat spccu.
laiion. They issue their own tickets,
which are sold In the form Of orders uu
their agents in Italy, and then, when they
have 100 or ~ issued, they ~ oilc steam.
ship companies aud make the best rates
they can with them. IN this way they
sometimes make handsome margin by
picking up trump steamer nj low rate.
Mr.. Coycly thought fully wpcr cent. ~
the prepaid Italian tickets were sold 10y
these Italian bankers.
lie said that ~ pcr cent. 81 the paisDn.
gcn from Italian ports remain Ia New
York. lilo said that his company had r..
sifictcd the sale NJ blank tickets "a any one
party 10 ten. Anyone wishing moro than
that must give the names oi the passengers
Who ARE b. use them.
Arthur ledcfcr. passenger agent II the
Red Star line, was next called. Ills line
runs between Antwerp and New York In
1883 the Red Star line brought 10 this port
y, 40 emigranls. In 1884, 2l,5i2, lNSi,
ellie. 1855. l7,OlE 1857, 2j,OO7. From
January 10 July l. Of this year, be- thought
about 1 90 or 1900 onigrants had NJ.
rived on the ships Of his line. Ten per
cent Of the tickets sold here In New York
are prepaid. The fact was brought out
that the Red Star line IN owned by the
International Navigation company. the
stockholders oi which are Americans
"Aro not the stockholders largely mem.
bcrs III the Pennsylvania Railroad com.
panyg" asked Chairman Jones.
THAT I cant say ~ ono time the
Pennsylvania Railroad company did own
some of These ships, which were niiefWarl
sold 10 the International Navigation com.
pany."
The committee then took recess
A representative oi the Italian society,
during recess, said that cmigunis flock Ia
the society rooms begging Tor relief and
making complaints. When asked why
they came here they said they were per,
suadod boy flaming placards which adorn
the walls of their native villages settling
forth In glowing terms the advantages u
coming 10 America. and promising them
profitable employment as soon ~ they
land. These placnrds, they say, arc scat.
tered broadcast over Italy 10y agents Of the
New York Italian bankers, Who reap q
rich harvest from their profits on steam
ship tickets.
Mr. Louis Dc Bcbian, agent oi tie llayf,
/ line 81 steamships WIS iirst called after 40,
recess. lie stated tliat the majority ID
s,eeragc passengers Who come 10 this pur
by his line are swcdcs. liz company onl'
has dealings with ten or twelve locl
agents aud no tickets are issued 10 them %
blank. Ills line sells very Tow prcpai'
tickets, because their rate u higher tini
any other line. The rate by his liuc b ~
frOm Paris 10 New York, oi which ~,
agent receives D. In 1883 his lin,
brought over 2J,4Sj Slccragc passengers