Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-26
KEEP 'EM OUT.
Who VIII BE the Head of the
New immigration Bureaul
Rumor Says EX-Congressman
Owen, of Indiana.

Importance of the Immediate Organiza-
ton of the Bureau on Account of the
Influx of Objectionable Glasses from
ItaIy-A Great disappointment to Nu-
merous Ofice-Seekers.
WASHINGTON, May 2G.-Ex- Congress
man w. d. Owen, of Indiana, had an
interview with the president recently, re-
lating to the Office of chief supervisor of
immigration. or the head of the new i'm
migration bureau which was authorized
by the last congress. The understand
ing is that Mr.. Owen is to be appointed
to this position, and that this appoint
ment will be made in few days. His
visit to Washington is understood to have
been at the instance of the president,
who desired to confer with him upon the
subject. The bill creating the new
bureau is the one for which Mr.. Owen,
as chairman of the committee on immi-
grafton of the house, labored necessarily
during the last session of congress, and
the new immigration act is in very
considerable degree the result of his
NOlhs IIC liCN VIII nave lb1
headquarters at Washington, and will
have general supervision of the enforce
ment of the new immigration act. Mr..
Weber, one of the chief immigration
agents at New York who has the i'm
mediate charge of the inspection of the
immigrants, was a candidate for this po-
sition. The salary provided is $4,000.
and there is a head of division and sew
eral clerks under him.
Congressman Disappointed.
There is one curious misconception on
the part of congressman generally
throughout the country as to the pro-
vision of this new immigration act. The
impression appears to prevail that this
act authorizes the appointment of 200
immigration agents or inspectors, or
nearly one to every congressional district
i'll the country. A great many congress-
men who voted for the passage of the
billhave urged the appointment of agents
for their respective districts, and letters
are being received at the treasury de-
partment inquiring why these appoint
ments are not made. They have not
been made and they will not be made for
the reason that there is no provision in
the law for the appointment of any such
number of inspectors. In fact, there is
no specific provision for the appointment
of any considerable number. There is a
clause which has been construed by the
attorney general to permit the secretary
of the treasury to use portion of the
head money tax TO defray the expenses
of certain number of inspectors. And
the understanding at the treasury is that
probably dozen inspectors may be ap-
pointed for the whole country. There
certainly will not be any more. The
congressman from the northwestern
border who have manifested very great
interest in this subject will probably not
be able to secure all the appointments
that they have desired, but Secretary
Foster will appoint some inspectors for
the northern border, where there is proof
that Cinnamon enter in any number.
Cause of the Delay.
1t is said that one reason for the delay
in appointing the new chief of the i'm
migration bureau has been the fact that
congress failed to make and specific ap-
preparation for the salary of that office
The attorney general, to whom the ques-
ton was referred, has reported that the
head money tax may be used to pay the
salary of this commissioner or supervisor.
1t is important in legal sense that it
shall be filled, in view of the very deter
mined opposition which has been made
to the enforcement of some of the pro-
visions of the act by the steamship com
panies in New York. One of the points
which was made with regard to the act
of immigration officials there was that
the specific act in question could only be
performed by this new officer or in his
name, and that inasmuch as the bureau
was without head, the acts of the
were not valid. The
United States courts in New York took
the same view of the case, and in order
to avoid that technical irregularity In
spector Weber, of New York was ap-
pointed by special commission of the
of the treasury under the
former custums act to act as Inspector.
This is the only means by which, in
view of that decision, he was able to Sc
cure standing in the courts. There are
a great many other reasons why it is
found to be important that this new i'm
bureau shall be immediately
and Thoroughly organized.
A Long-Felt Want.
It is felt that the immigration ques-
tion is one of the most important of the
coming questions, and Secretary Fostsr
is determined to get all the information
possible before the assembling of con-
gress The information which the state
has received through its
consuls is that the immigration from
Italy, Notwithstanding the incidents be-
tween Rudini and the United States, is
very rapidly growing, and that the i'm
migrants are very largely people of the
classes.
CONTRACT ARORERc