The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-26
ERROR OF SPECIAL LEGISLATION
ON THE EXCLUSION
LAWS.
THEIR INTENT rs NULLIFIEp.
AN INTERESTING REPORT BY THE
SUPERVISING SPECIAL TREAS
URY AGENT.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 25.-Super-
vising Special Treasury Agent J. ]. Crow.
ley has substituted his report of the re-
suit of the work of the division of special
agents for the past fiscal year to the Sec
rotary of the Treasury In table which
accompanies the report it is shown that
the receipts from customs during the past
year exceed those of the preceding fiscal
year by SCI $50 900, while the cost to col
lect revenues was reduced. Special at
tentlon is given in the report to the under
valuation of imported merchandise and
the difficulties encountered by the officers
who are charged with the supervision OF
the collection of the revenues are set
forth. Mr.. Crowley is of the opinion that
a better and more economical administra-
ton would be secured if there was a re-
arrangement of the customs districts.
Particular attention is called to the in.
stances of special legislation whereby the
provisions of the Chinese exclusion laws
as well as those of the alien contract labor
laws were waived to enable persons who
are otherwise excluded to enter this coun-
try as participants in interstate or other
e1positions. This practice Mr.. Crowley
regards as pernicious, and he recommends
its discontinuance. He cites the result
which followed the admission of Chinese
as participants in the Worlds Columbian
Exposition at Chicago, at the Midwinter
Fair in San Francisco, and at the Cotton
States and International Exposition at
Atlanta.
In each of these instances several hun
dred OF Chinese were admitted as actors
musicians, ETC., and the most if not all OF
those who were alleged to be PARTICIPANT.
in the exhibitions at Chicago and at Sar
Francisco have remained in this countay
Notwithstanding the fact that the laws un
der which they are admitted required
them to depart within one year from the
close of the e1positions. Whenever prac
ticable the special agents have arrested
such Chinese, but the work of locating anC
convicting them has been laborious ane
expensive.
He recommends a modification of tn,
existing laws relating to Chinese, so tina
there will be fewer exemptions from it.
provisions and he calls attention to the
facility with which certificates upon which
admission to this country is based may be
obtained from Chinese Consuls residing in
foreign countries. He regards this prac-
tice as having the effect to nuIlify practi-
cally the intent of the exclusion laws, and
is of the opinion that much of the crit.
cism visited upon officials of the Treasury
Department who have to deal with ques-
tons relating to Chinese immigration
could be directed more properly to the law.
He calls attention to the good result.
which have followed the imposition of a
duty of Sc per pound instead of S12 per
pound upon opium, as was the practice
prior to the tariff act of 1894, and cite.
figures to show the beneficial results of the
legislation at San Francisco, through
which port probably nine-tenths of the
Chinese opium Is imported into this coun-
try.