The evening times., 1899-12-08

| 1t is the intention of the Commissioner
General of immigration, to ask Congress
to enact legislation whereby the scope
of the bureaus operations will be en-
larged SO as to embrace record of the
departure Of aliens from this country,
thereby rendering it possible to form an
estimate of the net annual increase in the
population of the country.
Such legislation, it is believed. will pre-
vent one of the chief abuses to which the
| United States naturalization laws are sub
| jected. During the past year 311,715 for
eigners came to this country. OF this num-
ber. 1866 were Italians; 1891 We're He
| brews: 32,302 were Irish, and 26,517 were
| Germans. The remainder were people
! from nearly every country on the globe.
The fact has been apparent for some
| time that a certain class of foreigners ar
rive in this country every spring. and
| leave in the fall, their Cnly intention be-
| ing to secure employment here which will
| enable them to live comfortably through
| the winter in their own country.
; In this manner large sums of money are
| annually taken from the United States, for
which no benefit is ever derived in return.
| Among the alien classes, the Italians are
respect.
Last week in New York city there were
| ! 500 Italians who had failed to secure pas
sage to their native land, owing to the
crowded condition of the steerage
1t is proposed, when proper legislation
| is enacted, to remedy this evil. 1t has
been determined to compel every alien at
| the port OF entry to state his intentions in
| regard to citizenship, and the probable
| length OF his stay here. The advisability
! of allowing him to land will depend large
| iy upon his answers. Should the inspect
ors become convinced that he is OF the
| class mentioned he will be returned whence
| he came.
Commissioner of immigration Powderly,
in speaking upon this subject today, said:
| An alien on his arrival should be re-
quired TO state il it is his purpose ulti-
mately to renOunce allegiance to his own
| country, and become citizen OF the United
States. II he answers in the affirmative
the fact should be entered on record to be
used at the expiration of the required three
years of residence here in verifying his
asserted right to naturalization papers.
| If he declares it is not his intention to
become naturalized, he should be reQui. ed
to state his purpose in coming to this
country, which fact should also be record.
ed. In either case the greatest care should
be exercised in ascertaining his fitness to
land
| Another practice which aliens have been
| indulging in during the past year. and
which is said to have caused considerab e
embarrassment to the immigration Blu
reau. is the fact that a number OF for
| eigrers. after securing citizens papers
have demanded the admission of their
| families upon the ground that there was
no law which could separate a man from
his family.
In this way a number of persons entered
| the country who had been expressly ex-
cluded under the naturalization laws. OF
| the S,665 Italian immigrants who landed
| here last year. 1S,064 were from northern
Italy. With few exceptions this class al
| ways remain here, and become naturaiiZed
citizens. The chief occupation is stock
raising and farming and they are said to
be very desirable class Of immigrants.
! The proposed Congressional legislation
governing the naturalization laws is said
TO be the most important within the his
| tory of the immigration Bureau. With
the addition of these amendments it will
| be impossible. it is said, for diseased, pau
perized, or immoral aliens to enter the
| country by avoiding the laws through a
| technicality