The evening world., 1894-07-23
ONELINE BACKSOOWN
Backbone of the Steamship Com-
panies' Strike" Broken.
Couldn't Bluff the United States
Government.
VIII Pay for tho Feeding of Re
jectcd immigrants.

The North German Lloyd, which has
been regarded as the leader of the nine
combined steamship lines in the strike"
against the United States Government
in regard to the housing and feeding Of
immigrants. held pending examination
into their eligibility to land, threw up
the sponge to-day, and 1t is expected that
the rest will follow.
1t has long been the custom OF the
Government to impose upon the steam
ship companies a share of the risk OF
bringing over undesirable immigrants.
The steerage Is cleared of its passengers
not citizens of the United States at
Ellis Island, and the party, usually sew
eral hundred In number, examined there.
Those who from sanitary. moral or
social reasons were debarred from ad-
plittance were detained at thu island
and shipped back at the importing YES
sells cost.
While detained on the island, the re-
jected immigrants were fed, and the
bill later collected from the Company.
This system elected no complaint until
last April. when one of the steamship
companies suddenly rebelled and melted
overthrow the rule. The nine resisting
companies were the North German
Lloyd, Cunard, White Star. Netherlands
HIHeI1CdIl, fltlps TuIN,
d Co, Anchor line, French line and
Fabre line.
The American. Hamburg American
and Red Star refused to take part in
The efforts of the combination to get
redress at Washington fell through. but
the purpose was not abandoned, and last
Friday Commissioner Senner was served
| with a notification from the strikers
! that his system would no longer be
compiled with. He telegraphed 10
Washington and received immediate in
structions to examine, immigrants on
1 board the vessels. and to compel the
steamship companies. to keep rejected
immigrants on board their steamships
from f which they sailed. This meant
great Inconvenience to the companies
and greater expense than they are now
put to.
In order to carry out these instructions
| Commissioner Senner organized two
boarding squads, consisting each OF a
chief Inspector. three registry clerks.
three gatemen. four inspectors; one
physician.
The steamship people said that the
new ARRANGEMENT would delay their
| through costly encumbranccs increase
their risks and responsibilities. After
the inspectors order the detention OF an
the ship to guard and keep and under
danger of $500 fine II that Individual gets
| ashore.
The squads were on hand this morn
| ing and the first business came with
| the arrival of the Edam. which locked
at about o'clock at her Hoboken pier.
She had only sixty immigrants In her
steerage. but these had to go through
the long and tedious formality on the
| decks.
The North German Lloyd has two
the Aller, and, after briefly considering
the cost of hindrance and delay. the
| Company surrendered.
Mr.. Springer was posted on to tell the
welcome enough, and that he might
expect the steeragc passengers of to-
days ships at Ellis Island.
Commissioner said to an "Evening
| World" reporter
"rhe backbone of the combination is
broken ! don't say that the North Ger
headed the signatures to the protest
The expense and delay of the new svs-
TEN is too much for them, and the North
Germanl Lloyd apparently wants to es'
cape without one experiment.
| The first anxiety OF landing cap
tain is to clear his ship of passengers
and freight as quickly as possible, so as
age. on which he starts IN four or five
days. This is tremendous job and
needs all the decks cleared for action:
! The new rule would leave ON board all
| rejected immigrants and their baggage.
which with their care would be an In
| tolerablc nuisance.
Some or the companies are In debt for
| the feeding at Ellis Island OF detained
| immigrants. but this debt would not ag-
| gregate more than 5000 or 5000. All
| companies paying arrears and signify
| ing compliance to the old system viii be
at once relieved from the operations of
| the new rule"
a pretty fight remains on the hands Of
TIE other eight companies If they stick
| 20 their nnnnSltlOn.