The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-12
DECREASE OF
IMMIGRATION
FOR THE YEAR
Report of Commits
sioner PoWderly.
THREE THOUSAND SENT BACK
SEVERAL CHANGES IN THE
LAWS RECOMMENDED.
More Stringent Regulations Neces-
sary Tor Properly Guarding
the Canadian Boundary
Line.
THREE THOUSAND SENT BACK
CHANGES IN THE
LAWS RECOMMENDED.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11.-Commis-
sioner General T. V. Powderly of the
immigration Bureau, in his annual re-
port to the Secretary of the Treasury,
gives the total number of immigrants
who arrived in the United States during
the last fiscal year as 229,299, a de-
crease, as compared with the fiscal year
1897. of 1863. OF the whole number
1876, IT'S were males and 1854 females;
1O,O37 came into the United States
through Canada. During the year 5000
were debarred and of this number there
were twelve insane, one idiot 2261 pau
pers or persons likely to become pub
lie charge, PSI diseased persons, two
convicts, seventy-nine assisted immi-
grants and All contract laborers. One
hundred and ninety-nine were returned
within one year after landing.
OF the whole number over fourteen
years of age 1416 could not write, 49, 57
could neither read nor write, q sos over
twenty years OF age had $50 or over
and 96,203 had less than $50. The total
amount of money shown by immigrants
during the year was S3,S72077, but the
actual amount brought over was proba-
bly, greatly in excess of this amount
OF the whole number of arrivals 5S,613
came from Italy, 27,221 from Russia
proper, Is, 12S from Ireland, II Ill from
Germany, IL, $50 from Hungary, 1920
from Galicia and Burkowina in Aus
tria- Hungary, Y, 39S from Sweden and
1887 from England.
The commissioner suggests All
amendment to the laws excepting i'm
migrants shown to be afflicted with a.
lOathsome or a dangerous contagious
disease from the right of appeal or of
a hearing before the board of special
inquiry. He also recommends that the
head tax be increased from 81 to 81, so
as to furnish" he says, "a fund suffi-
cient to enlarge the bureaus operations
to their full capacity for usefulness in
protecting American citizens from dis
ease, taxpayers from the imposition Of
unjust burdens, the hospitals, chart
table and penal institutions from an in
flux of aliens, native producers from
unjust competition and the social and
political institutions of the country
from Generalization by the corrupt
citizens of other countries.
1t is also recommended. that the act
which prohibits the expenditure of a
greater sum for immigration purposes
than shall be collected at the port be
repealed.
Mr.. Powderly states that the natur-
alization laws of the United States
have been repeatedly violated, and ins
his opinion each arriving immigrant,
when admitted to the United States,
tihcate setting forth the name age, sex,
birthplace OF the immigrant, govern
ment to which allegiance is due, the
port from which the vessel sailed, the
name of the vessel, the line it belongs
to, the port it arrives at and the date
of landing. The immigrant should be
instructed by means of circular to re-
tain the certificate for presentation
where applying for naturalization pa
pers.
record of the facts stated in the
said circular as to each immigrant, to
be known as an immigrant directory,
should be kept for each fiscal year by
the Bureau of immigration. An act
of Congress, authorizing such q course
of procedure, and requiring of the alien
presenting himself for naturalization
to produce such certificate or a du-
plicate from the immigrant directors.
would facilitate the work Of the courts
and go far toward preventing the issu-
ance of fraudulent naturalization pa
pers.
The Commissioner General expresses
the belief that the figures given of the
arrival of immigrants through Canada
represent only part of the actual i'm
migration through that country, and |
suggests as a remedy the enactment of
a law authorizing the Secretary Of the
Treasury to designate certain points
along the border separating the United
States from the Dominion to be the sole
ports of entry to this country of trans
Atlantic and trans-Pacific immigrants
and Of all Canadians who shall not
have resided in Canada for at least
five years prior to emigration to this
country. It would be possible under |
such a provision, he says, to abolish
the present official stations on Cana !
dian soil and to transfer the officials
so placed to this side of the boundary, |
locating them at such points as the
Secretary shall designate, where build
ings could be erected for the accommo-
dation of immigrants pending examina> |
ton, as at the seaports of the United |