Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-26
VARIOUS OPINIONS
As to the Effectiveness of
immigration Laws.
Padrone System, Mormon and Canadian
Immigrants Investigation.
One Steamship Agent Says Has Calls for
10000 Unskilled Laborcrs.

me INTO the working Of the immiSra lion
laws at this port Mas resumed in the
Chamber Of Commerce, today.
The examination Of Assistant Com
| missioner If immigration Edward F.
McSWccncy WAS resumed. Chairman
Ellison y. Smyth questioned him re-
garding the existence Of the padronr
system in this country.
IF 10y thr padrUne system" said Me
Sweeney, lis meant that immigrants
| arr controlled by certain bankers after
they come here; that the commissariat
IS regulated ~ these men: that the
money Of tn immigrants II sent back
tu Italy by these LInEcrs-if that is
What VS. consider the padro':c system
il sun exists. Mn Impression Is that
nv Italian immigrants prefer ~ bc I'M
Grr thr control III thc p1Gronc."
Mn McSWccnry WAS questioned at
length IN regard To- Mlrmol lmmGra-
ton III sIid that probably - prr cont
"f IN. EcW arrivals were women.
| They All COME over IN charge ~ an
c!ter Who hes been PROSECUTING in
Eur"p" for Two or three a:s rhey
an claim to b" Latter Day saints ana
declare ihat they ntrna To- obey TN
Lass az The United States"
Regarding thu exclusion Vt immi-
grants b. said that IF Tie Il ,,.- cent
VI thy new arrivals, wv 350uu persons
examined by thu special board M in
uuiry. J" per cent Wcl" excluded.
What records hav, you IN regard ID
Canadian immigration"
Their ARR great many Canadians
Who come here every year To work aIid
then return. The problem is moro
pressing in Boston th,r here. The port
IF Boston receives as many immigrants
from canada as from Europe Il has
been estimated that from 30 600 to- TO-
uru come here every year. and many Of
NJ them find their way as far South ak
Now orleans. where they Worl, as long
shoremcn.'
Mi. Mc$Uceney gave way To Gustaye
H. Schwah, one Of thu agents II the
North German Lloyd Steamship Co.
who was sworn. Mr.. SchWab believed
The immigration laws We're int-llEently
ana carefully executed. He said that
th" steamship companies had issued
orders to their agents to investigate
All persons applying for passage ana
his company held such agents person
ANY responsible if the Immigrant was
II turned Mr.. SchWab spoke Of the
educational test ana said H. thought it
uuWi~" to keep out the Drawn and
muscle. which is needed for the devcI-
opment of the country. H. drclaxed
that statistics showed that the persons
who came from the iIlitcrate countries.
notably Italy, Austria. hungary and
Russia. We're the most Inv abiding.
.'FI'ht a NIY. .,h Y,
ARE ample to protect the country II
further Improvements are Ia IL agreed
upon. think YOU will frd all the
steamship companies ready 10 acqui-
csce IN anything that Will tend to pro
mot" the welfare Of the country. | he
lieVc tn immigrants coming here arc
noW absolutely needed"
10 Sol. Clarke, Mr.. Schwab said the
proposed consular inspections abroad
would hc only 2 failure, but farce. He
Thought the steamship agents would
welcome the appointment Of United
States inspection aSants abroad. but
believed tile expense would br cnor-
NOUS.
Mr. Schwab entered at length into |
the medical examination of passengers
and The means employed by the steam
ship companies to detect the presence
Of contagious diseases.
Robert Floyd. representing the Gun
ara line said he agreed with every |
thing which Mr. SchWab had said The |
passengers Of his company. IL said, |
were drawn mostly from Great i;ritain |
ana Ireland ana Scandinavia He |
states that his company would not ~ |
4 party to any attempt to cvadc the
immigration laws. In reply t. i qucs- |
ton aH ~ the booking of pIsacrEcrs on |
the other side he said that an agent |
who books a passenger who is returned !
is at once disciplined. Mr.. Floyd be
licVcd the present laws adequate.
j. Ter-i<uilr. the agent Of the Fabre |
Line, which phys between this port and |
Naples, was the next witness lie said |
his company brought III about 1900
immigrants last year, nearly all Of |
10 two-lifths of these had their fares
prepaid ~ this country.
Witness SAID that in former years the
Italians returned III great numbers.
onc-half Of the arrivals going back
every year. At the present time one
fourth returned to italy, but many sub
St'lu'Hli. tiult' i'ltk- Ike StilI tfle |
quality of the immigrants had decided
Is improved in recent years.
Mr.. Euile said To his knowledge the
evils Of the padronc system had been
wiped out. He admitted that Il few
were coming IL this coun-
try contrary to law. Italy. like other
countries discourage emigration. They
needed the men for the army"
Arthur I.edercr, passenger manager
of the American Rcd Star Line said
his company, last year, brought $1,000
passengers in the stecraEe. OF these
40 per cent We're prepaid. The number
Of immigrants arriving fluctuated from
year to year. When times were good
was very heavy, because
the farmers We're then able to bring
their families from Europe. Mr.. Led
erer said his company did not cater to
business which might result in having
to return the passengers. Agents
Continued on page 81