The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-02
STATE COMMISSION
HERE INQUIRING
As 10 Number Of Aliens in Public lnsti.
tutiOus.
CHAIRMAN FOChT INTERVIEWED
A Great Imposition which 1t Is the
Intention Of Our Legislators to
Wipe Out il Such Thing Is Posi-.
ble..Taking the First Step in That
Direction Now.

Representatives Benjamin X. Focht,
OF Union county, and 5. S. Staples, OF
Luzerne county. members Of the COM
mission appointed to investigate the
public Institutions of Pennsylvania to
ascertain the percentage of aliens being
cared for by the commonwealth, came
to this city yesterday to prosecute their
inquiries here and In the adjoining
places.
They will start in today on the Car
bondale hospital and will then return
here to make Investigations at the
Lackawanna hospital, county Jail and
Hillside home. Other members of the
commission which Is composed of two
senators and three representatives, are
working in other parts of the state.
Messrs. Focht and Staples have the
eastern part of the state as their ter
ritory and have already gone over a
large part of their work.
The purpose of the commission Is to
show the extent of this evil and set
afoot remedial legislation. Mr.. Focht.
the father of the resolution and chair
man of the commission, in conversation
with Tribune reporter last evening
said:
only those who have looked into
this matter carefully have any concep-
tiOn of the great imposition inflicted on
this commonwealth, in common with
others. as regards the care Of criminals,
| paupers and lunatics of other countries.
| \ large percentage of the inmates OF
| every charitable institution Is alien and
| as a consequence the citizen and tax
| payer for whom these institutions were
| established are in many instances de-
! MED admission or at least proper care
and attention owing to their overcrowd-
| ed condition. Being unable, or unwill-
y
| to the trouble anu expense of caring
| for their sick or injured friends the
| lower class Of aliens cart them to q hos
| pital and leave them there 10 be buried
in case they die, at the expense of the
commonwealth.
SEND THEM OVER HERE.
"As to asylums it is a fact notorious
to many consuls in Continental Europe
and frequently reported by them that
idiots are gathered up from the high
ways and byways by the authorities
and shipped to this country, it being
cheaper to pay their passage and sup
ply them with enough money to lan(
them than to care for them for year:
In an asylum.
Congress has taken the matter II
hand and an attempt Is now beins
made by Representative Stone ant
| ptiiCiS " cilutl icElSlotioIi NhlSil WI
permit US to send back not only those
who at Ellis Island. may be found to b,
paupers, criminals or lunatics. but those
who may become such before becoming
naturalized or at least partly American
lied. This time limit would have to b.
decided upon after the most careful
consideration, as in fact would TIL
whole matter as the danger of infring
ing OH treaties has to be duly regarded
That the same thing should be done al
will admit but what or how remains 70
our wisest legislators to determine"
Among the instances of this evil re
cited by Mr.. Focht was Danville asyl
um, where one-fourth of the patient
are aliens, many of them having beel
in the country but very short tim
before becoming charges.
FOCHT IS AN EDITOR.
Mr.. Focht Is editor OF the Lewlsbur:
News. the leading paper of Uniol
county,a and is brother-in-law Of Judg
Mcclure, whom he brought out an,
championed. He has served two term
in the Legislature and is again candl
date.
He is q Republican and one of tn
leading lnen on his side of the house
being a member of several of the mos
important committees. including tn
committee on appropriations.