New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-20
BROADWAY, COR. 31ST ST,
A TALK WITH HERMAN STUMP.
THE SUPERINTENDENT NOT WORRIED BY
THE CONDITIONS AT ELLIS ISLAND.

THE SUPERINTENDENT NOT WORRIED BY
THE CONDITIONS AT ELLIS ISLAND
Herman Stump. superintendent OF immigration.
WAS at the Cambridge Hotel yesterday. Mr. stump
came over from Washington 10 investigate 'n'
workings At Ellis Island and TO Inquire INTO '"e
increase Of Italian immigration Mr. stump mas
been much netted By certain reports regarding the
condition Of affairs on tho Island
81 don't see why the trend Of some papers shouiu
n. M much toward sensationallsm." said the super
ntendent yesterday. Il have heard so many
stories about Ellis Island. utterly without fouhua-
don that am at a loss TO account Tor the way III
which they gain circulation. ma by V's'uns ue
Island that there Is no peroeptDlo chahgo III III"
number OF immigrants. There has been slight In
crease In the number from Italy. and perhaps
there will be more In the future. but the immigrants
Will be sifted thoroughly and none VINO are op)ee-
,lonable Will be allowed to come In. Previous TO
1893 the Ellis Island authorities had no OASIS upon
which TO work. by the passing OF the act OF that
wear which is known the Stump Act. the I'M
migration authorities have fair chance properly
TO protect the country against undesirable immi-
grants The immigrants being received now are not
any larger In number than they were In 1884, 1882
and 1893 but at this time are receiving many
undesirable immigrants
.rnder our present system there Is a board of
inspectors comprised Of four members. IL Is neces-
sary for three OF these to vote armatively before
an immigrant can land. That makes II quite rigid
When this system was put In operation we mad to
have a detention house at Ellis Island. The place
had never been intended for dormitores and sleep
,nu.rooms with the detention Of large numbers OF
Immigrants pending examination. the sleeping quar-
ters were cramped. We had no place to send the
Immigrants during the day. and so there was no
chance TO clean the quarters Our doctors declared
that for sanitary provisions II was imperative 70
make some change. Then we rugged up pen where
the Immigrants could stroll around during the day
We secured about five hundred cots ana some
blankets and soon had q fair day quarters and a
nice clean place for the immigrants to sleep at
night We enforced system rigidly. IL the
Board OF Inspection decide that an Immigrant Is
undesirable instead OF returning him at once we
allow the man to appeal and employ counsel and
show cause why ne should not be sent back All
this takes time, and we have the annoyance Of
keeping him. but In order TO be fair We allow this.
Some time ago saw report that a number OF
the immigrants held In detention on Ellis Island
had mutinied. secured knives and had cut down
valuable shade tree We do not allow any OF our
men to carry weapons OF any kind. and while
do not know, suppose that almost every italian
immigrant who lands carries q stietto. asked
about this tree when was on the island yesterday.
and one Of the keepers showed II to me- some tlme
ago planted a lot OF nursery trees on the Island
wrist This was the kind Of tree that had been
cut down. and 1t looked more 70 me as had Deen
ssy aaeG aSd .sff h .;V sn:s
heard all these reports about riots and mutiniss at
Sns IN Sat de: day @
f ss naSSs about E s added S sSs d
said 'GSs' % %ssd 5. .. e. sS ~ That
' Congress e thorcushly sstisnsa with the work.