Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-11-24
TAKE No CHANCES.
Steerage Immigrants Still Barred
BY Very Rigid Guarran-
tine Regulations.
This is Done to Avoid a Cholera
Epidemic Next Spring.
A Circular.

The owners of the steamship Wei
mar, which recently landed about
l,S00 steerage passengers in New York
are said to have broken faith with
the treasury department. Gen.
S%paulding explained to a correspon-
dent that during October the govern
ment allowed the steamship compan-
les to bring over such immigrants as
were actually in transit when quar-
rantine vas declared. The delay in
their transportation was a great
hardship to such persons, as well as a
cause of heavy expense to the vessel
owners. As oon as the danger from
cholera appeared to be over, there
fore, permission was given to the
companies to bring over all persons
who had actually left their homes
and engaged passage to America. Be
tween 1900 and 5000 of such persons
have been landed. The treasury de
partment has information which
leads the officials to conclude that
the Weimar'S passengers had not en-
gagged their passage and were not
upon their journey when the restric-
tion was ordered. Gen. Spaulding
declared that there would be no fur
ther imposition of this kind if the
department was able to prevent it.
at is absolutely necessary to pre-
vent any further immigration by
steerage if we intend to keep out the
cholera" said Gen. Spaulding. 1--WE
are advised by the medical profession
that the danger is as great as ever it
was, and that this country will have
a cholera epidemic during the coming
year unless the utmost precautions
are taken. The government will
admit cabin passengers as usual, but
the class who come by steerage will be
prohibited. That is where the dan
ger lies, and it will not do 20 take
the chances. 1t is a somewhat
alarming fact that many eminent
physicians are fearful of an epidemic
next summer in spite of our best pre-
cautions. 1t therefore only remains
for the government to restrict immi-
grafton in the manner described and
exercise all the precautions that it
can"
Are you satisfied that the immi-
grants who were allowed to come in
during Oecober did not endanger the
public health?"
"Yes; they were mostly Scandi-
navians who were going to the north
west to settle on government land.
They were free from the disease, as
was shown by their good health during
the passage and since landing. The
government inspector was rigid and
thorough and there is no danger from
that quarter"
"There is an impression general
that the immigration has been much
heavier during the last six weeks than
the government ought to have al
lowed"
"That is owing to the fact that the
Weimar and one or two other vessels
had a very large steerage list. 1t
looked as if the ports were open to
all, but the same restriction prevails
as ordered in September and the only
steerage passengers that the govern
ment will allow the steamships Ia
bring are those who have been held
up en- route by the quarantine law.
The circular just issued by the treas,
ury department is intended to clear
up all misconceptions and show that
the restrictions are the same as they
were when we had the cholera scare
two months ago"