The San Francisco call., 1899-07-27
DANGERS OF THE
SECOND CABIN
immigrant is Use 1t to
Avoid Scrutiny.
BECOME PUBLIC CHARGES
SESSION OF THE INDUSTRIAL
COMMISSION.
Dr. Rossi Of the italian Bureau Ex-
plains His Letter Sent Out
During the War With
Spain.
BECOME PUBLIC CHARGES
SESSION OF THE INDUSTRIAL
COMMISSION.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, July 26-At to-deys
session of the subcommittee Of the
United States Industrial Commission.
Roman Dobbler chief of the boarding
inspectors of immigration at the barge
office. testified that his experience was
that clerks coming to the United States
in a second cabin with $40 or $50 were
the first to become public charges. The
witness prepared a table showing the
comparison between passengers in the
second cabin and the steerage. On such
lines as the North German Lloyd, Gu
nard American, Anchor and White
Star lines. the number of saloon pas
sengers almost equaIed the arrivals in
the steerage. In vessels from Mediter
ranean ports. however, the steerage
passengers greatly exceeded the other
classes. Mormons. he said, always came
on vessels of the Anchor line from
Glasgow. in the second cabin. His fig
ures showed that while 208S passengers
came from Italian ports in the steerage,
ONLY - came as cabin passengers.
Mr.. Dobbler said that many persons
came in the second cabin in order to
avoid the rigid scrutiny at the barge Of
flee lIc believed many Of the new ar
rivals had been coached as to their
answers to questions put to them here.
William Weihe of the contract labor
bureau, who was formerly president Of
the Amalgamated Association of Iron
and Steel Workers. said 80 per cent OF
all the cheap labor coming here, Slo-
vaks. Polaks and Russian Poles, went
to Pennsylvania. where they not only
worked on railroads and in the mines,
but entered into competition in the in
dustrial centers in the iron and glass
works.
1t has been shown said Mr.. Welhe,
that the companies give the preference
TO foreigners. even when skilled Amer
lean wCrkmen offer 10 work for the
same wages.
DR.. Egisto Rossi. chief Of the Italian
bureau at the barge office, said his bu-
reau was supported by the Italian Gov
ernment. His Government dld not en-
courage emigration to this country.
The bureau had been eSta bliShed here
to regulate the padrOne system and Tor
the purpose Of keeping record OF
Italian immigrants arriving IN thlS
country. While he would not say his
bureau had destroyed the padrone sys-
TEN. yet he had been able to prevent
many new arrivals from Italy coming
into contact with the bankers and pa
drones in this country
DO you still regard Italian lmml-
grants in this country as coIomsts
asked Chairman Smith.
We consider as cOlOnists all Italians
who have not taken out naturalization
papers and notified the Italian Govern
nent that they had renOunced ale
glance to King HUmbert
rs it true that you issued circular
letter on April y last, in which you said
that owing to the war with spain LABOR
and industry had ceased in this coun-
trv and advised your Government not
TO grant passports to intending lmml-
grants2" NO. The person who gave
You such information did not under
stand my Italian circular Many per
sons We're arriving from Italy with IN
sufficient funds and l simply called
upon the Government to urge upon the
Mayors and Projects the necessity OF
being careful in issuing passports, the
more so as this country was engaged
in a war and industrial enterprises
were in a measure suspended.
we have been informed that certain
italian Government officials are inter
ested in sending contract labor TO this
country and share the profits with the
padrone,' said Major Farquhar. I do
not believe it possible said DR.. Rossi.
I should like names and data. Amerl-
can foremen, acting for American con-
tractors. have been employing the
methods Of the padrOne since we have
been able to repress the operations Of
the latter
Commissioner McSWeeney was called
and examined on several matters and
the convention then adjourned TO meet
in Washington in September