New-York tribune., 1899-07-26
STRICTER LAWS URGED.
IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS WOULD Make
PROMISE TO SECURE WORK
CONTRACT

A CONTRACT.
Tho hearing Of the subcommittee OF the oni.eu
yEtates Industrial Commission which Is Inqurine
Into the working of the immigration laws a' ,"'.
snort was resumed in the rooms OF the |'i'Aios
81 romrerce Yesterday morning The examination
tof the Assistant Commissioner OF lmmgiatioD' ~.
s,ard y McSweeney who on the stano WIZ"
she committee adjourned on Monday was resu -.
Ellison A. Smyth. the chairman. aues',ou s
ness regarding the existence OF the pAo'o 'oA'
tem in this country. ,, ,,ocvaenev
Do. rne,rt that immigrants are controlled ai'o, M
>hev come here; that the commissariat % -, 80
nv these men; that their money 10 'e'.s 49,. Ga
dtaly by these bankers, or pauio =. ,uI ex.
What we consider the padrone system " -.
lists The system reputed 10 nave oo'a'' -, s,ood
- s.roh,, the bankers and padrones iheuceu
80 -,ar 70 come here, do not thlhH any
longer exists There IS no need TOT IT. nv 49,,
coma Of their own accord Before .hey oo''o Iii
rrow that by going 10 certain Dah~ei 40 49,.
ga endowment for them. My impression - lna'
the italian Immigrants VieAe' ~
troll OF the padrone." Nov
Mr. Mcsweeney was questioned IN regaro " ~
mon immigration He said that prooAoV % ~
cont Of the new Mormon arrivals were "o'neI s
,.ub seemingly having greater fascina'ioH
o,., than for men. They all came over 40
~ ~wo'neH =. on .,asr who had been preaching IN
I,urons for two or three years. They all oecieis s
.bat they intend to obey the laws OF the O"i''N
States -. .na+ nrob-
To Mr.. Farcuhar Mr.. Mcsweeney SAID Una. p,o1-
ably 65 per cent OF the new errlVa q. ,bts
rasssees prepaid by friends or relatives In 'N''
tcountry. . ..od +o Canadian
What records hove you in regard 10 NaA"N'''1
Ammigration?'' ooa,ovs ,ybo come
"Tbere are a great many Canadians VIM - ~,
t,sre every year 10 work. and then Return
HeI. = nor. nressng In Boston than mere
isrha r,ort NJ Boston receives as many lmin'e' ~
from Canada as from Europe IT mas oeeh
lsnoted that from fifty thousand 10 seven! a.
sand come here every year. and many OF liieir
their way as far South as Ne"-O
Nshev work as longsboremen. ..
~ McSueeney's examination was suspehue0'
t.no he gave way 10 GNstav H. schwao' one Va 49,,
agents of the North German LIoyo 0'e"''H
Company. who was sworn. - ..,,,,
Mr. Schwab prefaced his statement oy eaSihe
-. oos, ~ the steamship agents here who are
citjzens of the United States are repulaoe eu
xens and that the foreign agents nave no ~ uoei1o
10 throw into this country low class oi Pe'eo
,vbo can never be assimated. Mr.. schwao saio
he believed the immigration laws "eio '"'e''e'''
and carefully executed.
Witness said that the steamship companies hau
ISSUED orders to their agents TO invesueae d-i
persons applying for passage ana ms COMPANY
held such agents personally responsible II the 'i'-
migrant is returned He believed rigid inVes'sa~
zion OF the antecedents of such persons was more
rAliabIe than the proposed consular investigation
The agents in many cases were persohaiiy az
ouainted with the applicants, Whie theie "eie A'
enough consuls examine all the applicants
Mr. Schwab spoke of the educational test, ana
.o,d he thought II unwise 10 keep out the Drawn
and muscle which needed for the development
OF the country. He declared that stauSucs snow
that the persons who come from the llhterate
countries. principally Italy. Austria. Hungary ana
Russia. the most law aDlulhs' as sH0"" ~
The prison returns. -, C,os 1,r.
Robert Floyd representn1g the scS Sar9 Ma scbWab
had said His passengers ne saiu Sand,nsyia Sele
He said his company would not be a party TO any
attempt TO evade the immigration law Agents. ne
are AZ once disciplined Mr. Floyd had no sugses-
tions make as TO remedial egsla.ioFf OF the Amer
.can and Red Star lines said his companies last
year brought 2 IN rhe ne number of
Immigrants arriving fuctuated from year 10 year year
bscsmse farmers were then able bring their
families from Europe. Mr. Lederer said ms com IN
panies did not cater to business which might re-
suit in having TO return the passengers. Agents
abroad were only permitted to use the. the ordinary
Mr. schwab was recalled. and denied @ emphau- natl
caly the statements MADE 9efore eteamsbip she conn
panies maintained powerful lobby at the Ma
Since the death of Dr.. Glads." he said; who
furnished information Of proposed iegisa- ;lo
at Washington, lobbyist or otherwise" ,, =. ~,
Mr. McSweeney. who was recaiied, salo 10 ne e, uu
ing the country at the present time Applications
for ten thousand unskilled workmen had oeen made
OF business last spring which they could not fur
1ish and had no authority to furnish.
Mr. McSweeney offered a number or suggestions
of amendments the present immigration laws.
Among those offered that the immigrant
Should declare whether he intended TO become q
citizen Of the United States; another TO give 10 the
commissioner General of immigration power 10
expend the over fund received at this port at the
etations Of Boston and other ports, where the IN
come is smaller; and that false testimony
given before the Boards OF Special Inquiry be pun
ished as perjury. This latter Mr.. McSweeney re-
garded the most important of ALL
Mr.. McSWeeney said he believed a accommodation
amendments practical experience has suggested
He believed investigation oe the connection be-
tween immigration and crime a pressing need, ana
was OF more vital Importance than the economic
dangers.
John ]. Quinlan. supervising inspector Of the
Contract Labor Bureau, explained the workings or
his department and the law which guides him. Mr..
-Quinlan suggested that the law be amended that
ANY alien coming 10 this country under any in
,ducement, request suggestion that work could
or agreement Of any kind. should be excluded and
.all persons offering or holding out such nducement
should be subject TO the penalties already provided
for contractors
The witness gave interesting testimony Cf the
~'brds of passage from Italy, and his more skilled
brother from the North Of ireland. England and
Scotland He had heard it stated that this class Of
persons carry away S20.0I0,00 every year. going
home with large sums of money and returning
with just sufficient TO savo themselves from being
.deported likely 10 become public charges
DR. l.. L. Williams. surgeon at the Barge Office;
DR. Sanford, the Marine Hospital surgeon duty
at the Barge Office; Edward b. Holman. secretary
of the Board of Special Inquiry, and Charles Eich-
Ter, statistcian. were also examined The hearing
Will be continued to-day.