Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-27
Steamship Lines Complain Of
immigration Methods.
Bother Over Deportations, Aliens
and "AIen immigrants" Etc.
Some Unde. irabIe Glasses More About
Workings OF Padrone System.

Chamber Of Commerce. today. The
subcommittee viii conclude its l2bOrs,
today.
Roman Dobbler, chief of the board
! Of inspectors Of immigration at tho
| barge office. testified that it was his
duty 10 board all incoming vessels ard
examine al passengers to determine
their eligibility to land. His expert
ence vas that clerks coming here n the
second cabin with $40 or $50 Were the
first to become public charges. Nj.
Do5bler said many persons came in the
second cabin in order to avoid the rigid
scrutiny at the barge office. He be-
lirved that many contract laborers got
y in this way. Witness said he be
ioved many Of the new arrivals had
been coached as 10 their answers to
questions put to them here.
Dr. Lorenzo Ullo. legal advisor Gf the
immigration bureau. said there was
great difficulty in enforcing the laws
owing to the many contradictions
found iii the statutes relative to i'm
migration. \ case in point was the
law regarding criminals coming t. this
country which the law requires shall
be returned 10 the nation to which they
| belong and the port from which they
came. Sometimes the criminal was
an Oriental ana hailed from Bremen.
He thought the law should simply say
such persons not be permitted to land
AMI the steamship companies loft 10
lo with them as they believed best.
| III. mo said the administration Of
immigration laws had been greatly
improved. Under the state board mat
tiers Were in a chaotic condition. The
greatest complaint Of the steamship
companies was in eases where immi-
grants had been ordered deported and
had taken an appeal to the secretary
nf the treasury. In such cases the i'm
migrants were maintained At the
barge office at the companies expense.
Dr. G-llo. however. had heard that sew
eral companies had protected them
selves against such a contingency by
requiring a guarantee against such
loss from the immigrant before accept
ing him as passenger
Witness said that in none Of tn inn
migration laws We're there an express
provision for the deportation Of con-
tract llborers. The law Of 1891 did 50
by implication and it was under this
act that The department was working
The terms aliens and alien immi-
grants said DR.. THO found in the
laws have been 4 source of confusion.
United States judges in this circuit, es-
pecially Judge Lacombe, have decided
that tn, laws are only applicable to
alien immigrants and not aliens Those
birds of passage who find it profit
able to spend their winters abroad. the
Judges have decided. are only immi-
grants when they first arrive. Many
persons only claim to have come to see
the country. a brother or sister and
these have been adjudged aliens and
entitled 70 admission"
The witness said he would amend the
law regarding contract laborcrs to in
clude any agreement to come here to
work. not rigidly n contract If it is
advisable" he said. ITO restrict CON
tract iaborcrs from coming here the
law must bc amended. The law as it
stands does not restrict"
Dr.. t'llo said the spirit Of the immi-
grafton laws was to suppress the i'm
portation Of cheap labor which is
brought into competition with Ameri-
can Workmen.
Mrs. Virginia Sucker. the chief mat
ron at the barge office. testified re
Sarding the treatment of women arriv-
ing here in delicate condition. OF 1441
women arriving during this month in
that condition - We're married at the
barge office. 2S We're admitted on APP
peal and the others were found to be
married women.
Mrs. Sucker Said that there was an
average Of one marriage day at the
landing bureau. Thirty-one women ar
rived who had been unfathful to their
husbands. but except in three cases
thoy were permitted to land. Mrs. |
Stuckler thought the laws should in |
clude an act prohibiting the landing of |
girls brought here for immoral pur- |
poses. There was no such prohibition |
in the present laws.
VIM. Weihc of the contract bureau. who |
vas formerly president Of the Amalga |
mated Association of Iron ana Steel |
Workers. said 50 per cent. of all the cheap |
labor coming here. Polacks ana Russian |
Poles, went to Pennsylvania. where they |
not only worked on railroads and in The
mines. but entered into competition in
the Industrial centers in the iron ana |
glass works.
1T has been shown" said Mr.. Weihc.
that the companies give the preferences |
to foreigners, even when skilled Amcri-
can w0rkmcn offer to work for the same
wages"
DIR. EiEsto Rossi chief Of the Italian
bureau at the barge office said his bu-
reau was supported by the Italian gov
His government did not en-
encourage emigration to this country
The bureau had been established here to
regulate the padrone system and for the
purpose of keeping a record Of Italian i'm
migrants arriving in this country. While
he would not say his bureau had de-
stroycd the padrone system, yet he had
been able to prevent many new arrivals
from Italy coming into contact with the
bankers and padrones in Thu city,
DO you still regard alien immigrants
in this country as colonists?" asked
Chairman Smyth.
CONTINUED on page a.