The Indianapolis journal., 1888-07-26
THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION
Beginning of the Inquiry Authorized
by a Recent Resolution of Congress.
Testimony as to the Number Of Immigrants
Brought TO New York, Where They Came
from, and How They Obtained Passage.

New YORK, July % The congressional COM
mittee appointed to look into the immigration
affairs of the country at large began its work at
the Westminster Hotel this morning, at 10
o'clock. Chairman Melbourne II. Ford, of Mich
igsu, and Congressman w. W. Morrow, of CAL
ifornis. and Richard Guenther. of Wisconsin,
were the only members Of the committee pres
ent, but General Spinola and Congressman Oates
expected ARRIVE TO morrow. The CON-
missioners OF Immigration were not present
at the opening of the inquiry. nor any one
elss there to represent Castle Garden.
The frat witness to take the chair was F. L.
Boaz, passenger agent of the Hamburg line of
steamers He was questioned about the manner
in which his company transacted its passenger
business. He said that his company had some
three Thousand agents in this country. aud
about 40 per cent. Of these agents.
sales were prepaid passage tickets. sold to
friends and relatives for people in Europe. In
New York the company has about seventy five
agents; ali are paid commissions, and they sell
about 10 per cent or the smgrant tickets sold
IN New York. The witness never knew OF tick
cts being sold in quantities TO any one person,
nor 20 employ ment agencies. He could nJt tell
which was the highest number sold to any one
person. About 70 per cent of the passengers
brought here by his line of steamers are emf
iersnta Duri ng the past five years they had
landed 205, ,3l5 immigrants at Castle Garden
The compapys agents sell tickets from any
point in Europe TO any point In this country.
About or s-third Of the emierants brought by
bis line stop here in New York, aud the balance
20 TO the further West. Every man who buys
. ticket has to present passport showing that
he is allowed tc emierate. and has not commit
ted any crime. The company, he said, takes
great pains TO inspect all passengers,
,n order that none shall come
over who would not be allowed to
land here. Mr.. Boaz was questioned closely by
each one of the committeeman on this passport
question, and acuowledeed that the principal
point dwelt on IN the document WAS whether or
not the would-be emgrant was liable for mill
,tary service. He said that all the steamship
lines held conference periodically. and that
one OF the rules OF this conference was that o
agent should be allowed TO sell tickets on credit
or on the instsllmsnt plan. Mr.. Boaz said that
most OF the Hungarian emic-ants are common
laoorers, the Bohemians are about evenly
divided between agricultural and common labor.
and the Poles are almost To a unit common
lsborsrs. The Poles. he said mostly 20 TO
Buffalo or Chicago.
Mr.. Coveriy was the second witness examined
The committee devoted special attention TO the
Mediterranean business done by his comDany
Mr. Coverly stated that the following Italian
emiersnts had been brought here by his line in
the years named: 1883. l0. 1856; 1854. . ass: 1885
LAG; 1856. 6.59l: 1857, l,l2s The majority OF
prepaid tickets from Italy he said, were sold by
Italian bankers here IN New York. They have
q system of their own; q sort OF wildcat specula-
tion. They issue their own tickets. which are
sold IN the form of orders on their agents in
Italy. and then, when they have 100 or so issued
they 20 70 the steamship companies and make
the best rates they can with them In this way
they sometimes make handsome margin by
picking up q tramp steamer az a low rate Mr.
coverly thought fully 90 per cent of the pre-
paid Italian tickets were sold by these Italian
bankers He said that Is per cent Of tbs passen-
yers from Italian ports remain In New York
He said that his company had restricted the sale
of blank tickets 10 party TO ten, anyone
wishing more than that must give the names OF
The passengers who are TO use them.
Arthur Ledsrer. passenger agent OF the Red
Star line. was called His line runs between
Antwerp and New York. In 1883 the Red Star
ships brought to this port 2s.l70 emierants; IN
1884, 22.542; 1855, 2l.1l2; 1856 17,03S; 1887. 25-
D07. From Jan. ! 10 July of this yesr hs
thought sbous 1000 or 1000 emigrsnts had