The times., 1898-11-12
IMMIGRANTS OF 4 Year
The Worlds Motley Contribu.
ton to America.
FALLING OFF In NUMBERS
Powderly Submits His
Annual Report to Secretary Gage
Recommends PhysicaI Exnmina-
tions as a Means of barring Unde-
strabIe Itinerants-Many Needs.

The annual report of the Commissioner
General of immigration, T. V. Powderly,
has been made to Secretary Gage. The
report is for the fiscal year ending June
go 1898.
The figures given in the report show
that there was a falling off in the total
immigration, from 2s0, s32 in 1897. to 22s.-
e99 in the past fiscal year. The report
is very complete and voiuminous and
some Of the statistics given are interest
ing.
Commissioner Powderly makes many
strong recommendations. One of these is
that every immigrant be given thorough
medical examination and refused admis-
sion unless physically sound. He also rec
ommends that the law be changed so as
to require each immigrant to state the
exact amount of money in his possession
upon landing. An increase of the head
tax is also recommended. A tax of 81
per head, it is claimed, would be reason
able and would defray the expense of
large force of physicians to examine the
immigrants.
During the fiscal year 135.775 male and
SO ,524 female immigrants were admitted at
the various ports. This is a decrease of
2,20l females from the figures of the pre-
yious year. The excess in male immi-
grants presents a more desirable class as
those from European countries show an
increase of 2,730. and those from Asiatic
sources exhibit a decrease of 2,O62. The
port of New York passed 17S.74S immi-
grants during the year. the next port in
ID paIt
passed 10, 735.
Italy in the Lead.
Italy heads the list In nationality, 5s,s13
immigrants being entered from that
country. Russia proper is next in order,
with 27,221. while Ireland is third, with
25,I2S. OF the total number from Ireland
Is. 176 were females, or nearly double the
number of males. There were 2,071 Chi
nese immigrants admitted. OF this num-
Der ten were females. Cuba supplied 1,S77
immigrants.
The number of immigrants debarred
was S,025. OF this number 12 were insane,
2SS diseased, 2,26l paupers and convicts
The total amount of money shown by
immigrants was s., $500 The number of
persons showing $50 or over was 276OS
The destination of the majority of the
immigrants were the Western and South
ern States. New York received 9lO14.
The District of Columbia was given by
259 as their destination. Massachusetts,
received q, ,S4s, COOS of this number coming
from ireland. Illinois received 12I29.
while California received 6,3f1. Pennsyl-
vania received 81, ,09S. Twenty-three were
bound for the Klondike
Queer People From Strange Lands.
In the list of occupations 54 actors were
entered, % of these coming from Japan.
One hundred and fifty-three clergymen
immigrated to this country. There were
Il editors, one of them coming from
Japan; 81 lawyers IS of them coming
from Cuba; 81 physicians, 10 of them from
Cuba; 4l6 engineers, from Turkey; 2,635
mariners, LOCO of them coming from
Italy; 14o printers, s of them from T,Ir-
key, and 2 from Japan; bankers.
The total number of skilled workmen
was 33, 145. Those with no occupations
numbered 90,425.
Continuing, the report says:
Although there has been a diminution
in the total immigration yet, in respect
of their means of immediate self-support,
the arrivals for the present year are more
desirable, for they exhibited to the ex-
amining officials 50, or, an amount in
excess of that shown In the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1897, of s310,Sss
''The act of March 3, 1893, requires that
if an immigrant is possessed of $50 or less
he must state the amount but if the sum
is over $50 he need not state what II is.
Under this law there Is no means of as
certaining how much money Immigrants
bring with them to the United States, ana
In order to obtain exact information the