The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-25
Open TO THE DISEASED
Failure of the Law to Remedy
Evils of immigration.
STEAMSHIP COMPANIES BLAMED
Ugly Facts Disclosed by the Industrial
Commission Inquiry Into the Immigra-
tion Problsm-The Fact Also Brought
Out that C.yiI Service Rules Have Been
Ignored in Matter of Barge once APP
pointments-Ar. Fitchie's Defense.

New York. July 24-The subcommittee
OF the Industrial Commission met here to-
day TO investigate the immigration ques-
tiOn. Only three members were present ex-
Congressman John ". Farquhar. Of Buff
falo; Ellison A. Smythe. of North Caro-
lima. and Col. Albert Clark, Of Boston
Senator Boies Penrose, Of Pennsylvania.
and Congressman Livingston, OF Georgia,
were unable 10 attend
Commissioner of immigration Thomas
Fitchie was the first witness. He ex-
plained the working Of the immigration
law in detail. He spoke of the great care
taken in the examination of the new ar
rivals as regards their moral. physical,
and financial condition. Notwithstanding
this. the Commissioner stated that many
persons were undoubtedly received who
were suffering from dangerous contagious
diseases. He mentioned the case Of
woman who arrived here in the steerage
OF a French line steamship, and who was
suffering from trachoma, a dangerous
contag gious disease. She was deported,
but arrived here again on the next trip
of the vessel, in the second cabin, and
again was sent back.
Law Has Defects.
Mr.. Fitchie suggested that the law be
changed so as to impose a fine on any
company landing or attempting 10 land
any passenger suffering from a cOnta-
gious disease. He believed that If specific
fine were imposed for each violation of
the law, the steamship companies would
be more careful. Nine per cent of enc
shiplOad Of immigrants, he said, were
found undesirable and ordered deported.
Mr. Fftchie declared that sixty-flve cases
of trachoma were detected in a single
week. besides many cases of favus, anoth-
er dangerous contagious disease. He
urged a more rigid medical examination
at the port of embarkation.
Mr.. Fitchie was asked whether he found
the operation of the civil service law
beneficial in his department.
"Emphatically, no. he said. "Our de-
partment is a peculiar one, and ] do not
believe any examination discloses the
qualities needed in many OF our employees.
Honesty, determination, and experience
are a thousand times more serviceabIe
than civil service examination"
To Col. Clark, the Commissioner said he
believed it would be a good thing il all
the offices in the department were taken
out of the civil service. To a question as
10 how good men were to be protected
under such a condition of affairs, Mr..
Ritchie said he believed the appointing
power would protect them.
More FIagr4nt Violations.
The Commissioner confessed that he had
known of cases where valuable men were
removed to make room for mere party
workers. But he suggested that while
clerical positions should remain under
civil service rules, he could not see that
any examination could produce as good
immigration inspectors as the Commis-
sioner could select.
Assistant Commissioner Edward +. Nc
Sweeny gave a succinct statement of i'm
migration matters since 1890, when the
government took the business out Of the
hands OF the State authorities. He gave
an interesting account of the various
movements an immigrant must take be-
fore he is permitted 10 land, from the time
he applies to purchase ticket until the
barge Office gates swing outward for
him Mr. McSweeny said il had been esti-
mated that as a result of the law Df 1893,
81, 900 persons who applied for tickets 10
this country were refused transportation
BY the agents of the steamship companies.
The Commissioners listened 10 Mr.. Nc
Sweenv's recital of the difficulties in en-
forcing the law regarding the exclusion
of the various classes of undesirable i'm
migrants He said that any allurement
offered to any one 10 come here to labor
should be deemed sufficient TO oar the
immigrant He also said Ii would be well
to include IL the list OF undeslraples those
birds of passage" who come mere and
work in the summer mOn;as and go 10
Europe TO spend their savings IN the WIN
ter, returning again in the spring. AT the
same time, Mr.. McSWeeny said, he doubt
ed if there was any class as objectionable
as those men who came here without a
dollar in their pockets, ready 10 take any
mans Job at any price.
MI McSWeeny said that he believed the
time had arrived when the laws should be
revised He thought the whole family
should be depOrted when one member or
it was found TO be suffering from !oath-
some disease.
Unreliable Statistics.
Regarding the statistics of the Bureau
of immigration. he sid that they were
of no value as regards the race or desti-
natl. ! Of arrivals. Most of those who an
nounced themselves as Austrians, Hun
garians, and Russians were Slovaks, CrOa-
tians. Poles -LithuaniaIS, and Dalmatians.
During the years 1880 TO 1880, 10 per cent
of the arrivals at this port. or nearly
200 go persons, announced their destina-
ton as New York City. The census of 1880
showed an increase in the population Of
only 10000.
DO you know that the padrone system
still prevails here?" asked Mr.. Farqunar.
we are morally sure that it does. When
people come here from Italy supplied with
equal amounts of American gold, we think
there is something more than mere chance
in it,
Regarding the Italian office, he said:
Or Egisto Rossi. the representative of
the Italian government, is a thoroughly
honest and capable gentleman, but i be-
leve that while the Italian government
continues its Quasi-Oficial supervision over
It's immigrants. the inspection OF the
United states government must be Offset
to some extent. The establishment OF such
a bureau tends 10 encourage undesirable
immigrants 10 come here, because they
feel they win be protected. We believe
that the objects for which the office was
opened have not been achieved. The pa
drOne system has not been broken, crim-
inalS from Italy have not been stopped
from coming here, and there is no good
reason for its maintenance"
Assisted 70 Get to America.
do you still think there is assisted i'm
migration 10 this country?" asked Chair
man Smythe.
Yes, ! think assisted immigration comes
from many countries. but that II collects
in one, and comes here generally through
England. via Canada. Charitable socie-
lies in England are continually moving