The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-22
IMMIGRATION.
The Investigation at Pittsburg,
What the Foreign Paupers Cost
the City of Pittsburg.
The Glass of Immigrants in tho
County Poor House.
Character OF tho Laborers Who
Compete With Americans
On the Railroads aud Pipe Lines in
Pennsylvania -- The Deplorablo
Condition OF tho swedes
and Hungarians.

was represented by Congressman VI, II.
Ford, OF Michigan, chairman OF the COM
mittee, and Congressman Richard
present Judge Simmons, special agent OF
the Treasury Department.; Il. .Mcrriield
sergeant-at-arms, and James Fisher, sec.
rotary and official stenographcr.
During the morning Robert c. Elliott,
chief of the bureau OF charities; Judge
Wm. Ramsey, former chairman OF the
poor board, and Geo. Hoffman, examiner
Of the department Of charity, were OK
amincd. Chief Elliott said that insane
people aud dccrcpit and ignorant class
Of people applied for relief 10 great ox-
tent who should never have been ad-
mitted into the country. lie re-
cited twenty-five cases, some OF them
criminal, Of people who had come
from foreign countries against the pro-
visions Of law. One case was that OF an
Englishman who had killed British OIL.
GER Another was that OF an English
woman who had been brought here 10y her
bciraycr and abandoned. She was taken
to the poor farm ON October %, 1887, went
insane and still remains there. She has
cost the city thus far ~ 500, aud rs she is
a strong woman and may live many years,
she may cost the city $500 or s. 900 more
before she dies. Another case was that Of
foreigner who had served time at
Blackwclls Island, aud after leaving there
had been shipped from Castle Garlcn 10
pitisburg, aud after being taken 10 the
poor farm stolen goods were found in his
possession. lie then admitted that he
had been a thief before ho came 10 this
country. The city institutions, ho said,
were crowded TO ovcrilowiug, and II IL
were not for the foreigners, who are not
entitled 10 land here, chiefly through
Castle Garden, there would be plenty Of
room for thecare Of those who were justly
entitled Ia ~
Judge Ramsays testimony was n cor.
roboraiion oi that Of Mr.. Elliott Exam.
liner Hoffman said ho had seen immigrants
! With brands of u loIcgn WOrk-housc tick.
ctcd 10 different sections OF the country,
aud that the immigrants had applied to tho
Bureau Of Charity for relief thc DAY after
arriving at Castle Garden.
The afternoon session was devoted 10
taking testimony, especially regarding the
importation OF contract labor The wit.
nos-cs examined wcrc Master Workman
Ecclcs Robinson, oi tho Brass Workers
National Assembly, Master Workman
Doyle, oi District Assembly No. .. knights
OF Labor; President Smith, oi the Flint
Glass Workers Union, aud James Camp.
bell aud VIM, Cake, president aud scrrr.
tary Of the Window Gluss W0fkcfs' Fed
Grafton. The evidence went b. show that
men had come to this country under cuu-
tract, In many eases ~ work against skilled
labor. National Master Workman Robin.
sou said that the men employed on the
pipe lines aud railroads hefuabOuis were
mostly llungnrians. Italians and Swcdrs.
he had been informed by q Pennsylvania
railroad official that about 500 immigrants
came hcrr every week in the season of
spring aud summer These impurntions
had ihc effect ol decreasing the value oi
labor.
District Master Workman DOYLE stated
that be- had known oi the importation Of
contract labor In Wc-tmorcland and Fay.
cite Counties. They are blackstone cut.
tcis, aud como over here from Wales und
Scotland la iho spring, returning in the
Lll. They never become American riti-
zous. lie bad reason to believe that Hun.
gluans, Italians aud SWcdcs we're inn
ported Tor work on the railroads anI pipg
lincA They came In groups, and ~ II
their destination was prtunngcd. Fifteen
90 twenty years ago Germans aud negroes
did the work on railroads, and the, were
citizcuA The Italians, ilunmrans anI
Swcdos don become Ciihan4 They don
enjoy the blessings ol the homo such nl
tie average American WofkingInrn have.
They have no family ties aud live like
hogs. Their class ul food is great deal
W0ns' than the American workman'a I
saw them, said ho, in the ditch with
picco Vt bread and nv bacon iof their
meal. They um not intelligent and
American wofkmcn cannot compete with
them, as thcy do not know what u fair
days work is, aud aU imposed on by their
employers Tho effect o' the imp0nlti1ns
has been very bad, Wages in somo places
are ns low us ~ cents per day, aud Il largo
number ui Amcutan Wufkingmcn urr
tmmping ihc country
President Campbell. Ui tho Gll's Work.
crs' Federation, uid that thry had no
trouble since the International Federation
Of elias, Workers had brun formed. Fro.
yioui 10 that they had trouble with parties
~ NllANNt llft IlllUl1iN ANN NNN dNiH'N
Who wgw importing labor The evidence
Of Secretary Cake did not differ materially
from that oi Mr. Campbell. President
Smith, oi tho Flint Glass Workers. cited
the c,se II q White Mills. Pa, glass man
ulurtufCf Who was importing contract
labor Ne said ho had an affidavit from
Thomas Latham, workman, IN which
the latter swear that when he wanted 30
quit work on November last, $50 was de.
Quoted from his wages 10 pay his passage
FROM England llo had been hired with
four othcn 10 come TO this country aud
work.
This completed the evidence and the
commission adjourned The members oi
the commission will leave i1r Detroit Ia
the morning. The members seem well
satisfied with the evidence that hal been
taken here. Chairman Ford, In speaking
Of II, fad. "fhc evidence shows an
alarming state Of Affairs, ~ far "a tho pau
pou aud insane are concerned. II 10 sur.
prisng 10 M. AZ the lowest estimate
there have been 900 oi such immigrants
come " this section alone since Ihe law