The Forrest City times., 1888-08-04
EMIGRATION INTRIGUEs.
The Congrsssionei Committee Hears How
 the Bussae.s ts Worked.

The Congrsssionei Committee Hears How
 tn. Bassssss is Worked.
 NEW YORK, July 2s.-Congressmsn Oates of Alabama. sat with the Eni- grafton Investigation Committee of Congress to-day. Congressman Spinols was the only absent member of the committee.
 John C. Curtis, who has charge of the steerage business of the Cunard vns -as the first witness. The line nas six or eight agents here. Their yearly importations were as follows: 1888. 1.55s; 1884, si27; 1885, 16, ,55s; ios5: l5,ee4; 1887, 17,Ts2, and for six months of the present year, 21.l94. His com pany employed Al means required by law to prevent the landing here of contract laborers. Last year the com pany sold 400 prepaid tickets. Ten tickets was the limit of purchase at one time, Witness did not know of any coolness existing between steam ship companies to control rates. Phy- sicians under the English Government
 
 come here by his line, confined their labors to finding out if any person was afflicted with a contagious disease. He did not think the doctors bothered themselves about lame or servile pas sengers. The object of the doctors search was to protect all sailing under the English flag.
 The Italian Vice Consul, Attillie Monaco. was the next witness. He stated that in his official capacity he had authority from his Government to furnish money to send back any pau pers or disabled countrymen of his. There is no limit placed on the amount he shall expend, but it is left entirely to his own Judgment. He said about 50 per cent of the Italians coming over here were farmers, 30 per cent skilled laborers, and the balance day laborers. He had about a month ago received 5000 from his Government to be dis tributed among the poor Italians here. This money was sent to the Consulate, Baron Fava, the Italian Minister, act ing under instructions from the home Government, and the money was turned over to the Italian Emigration Society for distribution.
 Sgr. Monaco gave some interesting information about the manner in which contractors here induced his countrymen to emigrate. He said they
 would send out to Italy to their agents there to secure a certain number of
 men and send them over here
 paying their passage. Then the emigrants would agree to work foI him and pay him anywhere from s5 to s25 interest for advancing the passage
 money. He said that the men when they arrived here were entirely at the
 mercy of the contractors, who, as rule
 kept saloons on Mulberry street. They would put the men to work, and all the money for their labor is paid direc, to the contractor, who would hold il until they got their money and exor. bitant interest back, and often would
 get another months pay from them and then let them go without giving them any money. This is not SO bad as it was three years ago, owing to the enforcement of the contract labor law He said, that, as rule, these contract ors kept bank, a saloon, labor bu. reau and ticket office all in one. The Italian people, he said, were very say. ing and deposited their money in these banks, which are under no supervision whatever. Lately, he said, they were getting suspicious of them, because three bankers had within a year past skipped out without paying up. He declared that within the past year
 1000 to 5000 had applied to him fol assistance, and most of them were men who could not get work.
 The Vice Consul declared that hi.
 Government had repeatedly warned his countrymen against the induce
 ments held out to them to emigrate He said the Italian laborers saved about 75c out of every sl.25 they re ceived.
 Commissioner Morrow questioned him about how the Italians workin1 on the aqueduct were employed. He said that they were employed through the contractor here Sometimes, he said, both the contract ors who employed the men and tn,
 men themselves paid commissions tt these labor agents.