New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-03
THE HEBREW IMMIGRANTS.
THEY ARE NEARLY ALL DESIRABLE PEhcoNc
VIEWS OF COLONEL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
TILE CoNGnE:s COMMITTEE.

| -
THE CONGRESS COMMITTEE.
The immigration OF the large numbers OF prosecuted
Hebrews from Russia and Turkey took up most OF th'
attention OF the Joint Congress Committee on lmmi
grafton Yesterday The session held In tho Federal
| Building and those present were Senators
| Chandler and Dubois and Congressman stump Wright
and Geissenhainer. only two witnesses were ex
| amined Colonel John b. Weber and DR.. W. VI. smith
OK Health Officer OF this port. Senator Chandler has
had TO return TO Washington but his colleagues will
continue their Investigation at II n. IN. to-day.
After some talk about the manifest which officers OF
vessels show To the health authorities, Colonel Weber
was osLed concerning the Hebrew immigrants. lie
said that there were many of them who were assisted
to come TO this country. The law did not debar such
persons but compelled them to SNOW that they were
not likely TO become public charges. Since the bonded
system had been stopped. Colonel Weber had allowed
these assisted immigrants TO land on the giving OF
proper guarantee BY the United Hebrew Charities The
Treasury Department had authorizes him to accept
such guarantees He cid not receive more thah i"o
or 600 OF them year
These papers pledged that in case the immigrants
wcrs unable TO support themselves the Hebrew society
would take care OF them. Colonel Weber said that re
did not know whether these guarantees were capable
Of being enforced by law. lie regarded them moe as
memoranda than anything else but had never had
occasion to call the society TO look after any OF hr
wicn they were apparently able and willing to take
carc OF themselves and were vouchcd for by some
society or relative Usually such immigrants were
returned II they were not prosecuted Hebrews as
those from England France. Germany, ETC.. were gef-
orally chronic paupcrs criminals.
"You do not regard these Hebrews as panpers''
Senator Chandler asked.
NO. sir | do not They have no money becn'isc
they have been most brutay treated They are strong
and active and / have never heard OF one OF them
becoming public charge. II they are pa'pers the
Treasury Department and have misrcad the law
allow Is it, asked Congressman stump. q TINT
Balfour said In Parliament few days ago that There
WAS no need Of passing law to keep these Hebrews
out OF England as long as the United states freely
admitted them -
az all rests with Congress- said the witness.
Congress can pass laws keeping out red headed or
bald headed onecggcd men, but it hasn't done so
Congressman Wright read from The Tribune about
the case Of two Engllshmen who were detained on
sunday a. contract aborcrs. Colonel Weber had not
had time to examine the question involved. at
seems 10 me- said the Congressman that wonld
let them in.n
"Ycs," replied Colonel Weber. the courts usually
say we are too severe. They nearly always admit
Immigrants who appeal to them. We Try to enforce
the law strictly
Colonel Weber did not think that persons who were
cared for temporarily by the Baron de liirsch Fund
or Tie United Hebrew Charlie, were public charges
He did not think that The United Hebrew Charlie
received any money from the city. The wltno-s VIII
be recalled today when he VIII explain the woThing
FN Health Ofhcrr smith was then asked about tho
cases Of tvphus brought oh the Massilia. He knew
little about the lihjoct having gone out OF olicr
before the presence OF the fever became known ilr
thc vessel m Quarantine and found nothing 10 lead
him to suspect that typhus was present.