Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-17
To TAX IMMIGRANTS.
MEETING or THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
OF CHARITIES AND CONNECTIONS.

Several Papers Read showing That the
Lower Class Of Immigrants Landed In
New York-Anoihsr Ono Favors a Tax
ana sinis Inspection on Imported Labor.
BALTIMORE, May 16.-'Time. tide and
the National conference OF Charities and
Corrections wait for no man." was the re-
mark made by Rev. Oscar @. McCullock, OF
indianapolis, First Vice President, when be
called the delegates to order this morning.
One paper on immigration that Attracted
particular attention was prepared by Mr.
j. II. Van Antwerp, Vice President OF
New York State Board of Charities and
Chairman OF the Standing Committee Of the
Conference OF Immigration. The recent
action of the Secretary of the United States
Treasury In placing the execution OF
the law at the port Of New York
IN the hands of Federal officer, appointed
for the purpose, is commended in the paper,
and it advises like action in respect to
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and pos
slbly other ports. The necessity OF such ac-
tion in the part of the Federal Govern
ment is based upon the fact of the growing
numbers OF immigrants of late from the
south and interior of Europe, whose language
is almost beyond our ability to acquire and
who have no ability or inclination TO acquire
ours, and whose vague and indefinite con-
ceptions citizenship are not in keeping with
the American standard. The congregation
OF these ignorant and alien classes in
our cities by themselves, creating
in them what are significantly called
foreign quarters" as fully as menacing to
the country and its institutions, both social
and political, as ifthey were Chinese. There
is limit to our capacity for assimilation
into good citizenship, and if the incoming of
these hordes of ignorant and undesirable
classes is not checked, enough ignorance in
time may be imported to overwhelm the
stability of our government itself.
A paper on the Effects of immigration
on the Community and its Effects on
Labor" prepared by Mr.. S. c. Wrighting-
ton, OF Boston, and confined CHIEFLY to imni-
grafton to the ports of Massachusetts, was
read. The paper shows that while
the population of Massachusetts during
the last quarter of century
has increased but go per cent, and its
wealth, but 80 per cent, its expense for pau
per support has increased 25O per cent. In
evidence that this great increase in pauper
expenditure is to the wholesale introduction
of aliens into the United States. Mr..
Wrightlngton quotes from the statistics of
pauperism and insanity in Massachusetts
showing that the annual commitment of
pauper insane of foreign and native birth is
in the proportion OF almost three to one.
Mr.. Wrightington favors a tax on imported
labor or immigration as protection against
crowding the labor markets and the popu-
lation Of the country, and also favors State
inspection of fimmigi alton.
DR.. Hoyt also presented the report of the
Special Committee Of the Charity Organiza-
tion Society, Of New York, on immigration.
It was read, and, among other things, rec
ommends the examination OF immigrants
before their departure from their homes by
United States Consuls abroad, and also fa-
vors Federal supervision OF immigration.