The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-12
1 CHECK TO IMMIGRATION
Tramp Steamers May Soon Be Re-
fused Entry to Ports.
The Recent Arrival of the Gran
AutiIn with ItnIinns mt New York
Pnrf of the Treasury Department
Against the Landing OF Paupers.

| Tramp steamers will soon be refused
entry to United States ports for the de-
| barkaton Of immigrants under rule &c
| be established by the Secretary of the
| Treasury. The arrival of the tramp
| Italian steamer Gran Autila, with her great
| cargo of Italian immigrants at New York
and the difficulties arising from the mat
Government for guaranteeing that none
| OF the number allowed to land shall be-
come public charges, will hasten this de-
cision
The law provides that the Secretary Of
the Treasury may establish such rules as
ernment against aliens entering the coun-
try and becoming public menace or
burden.
The difficulty with tramp" steamers is
that when they are chartered for the pur-
pose of bringing immigrants to this coun-
try they seldom return to the port whence
they came. AS rule they are open to
be chartered for any purpose. In the
case of the Gran Autila her owners plans
are to load her with a cargo of coal at
Newport News and ship it to Barcelona.
Spain. She came from Naples. The bond
of $4,000 in cash required by the Treasury
Department yesterday to indemnify the
Government against taking charge of any
OF the LOO immigrants on board her, even
before an examination would be begun as
to the eligibility of all or any of them to
land. Is an unusual demand.
Immigrants. as a rule. come here over
regularly established lines and upon bond
ed steamships. In that case when an alien
Is refused entry and ordered deported at
once. OF within a year. the steamship
company is where it can be found to per-
form wha. the law demands of it. With
the tramp ships this is different. The
tramp ship knows no home port, and
is as irresponsible craft rs floats, as
rule. In the case at hand 1t is estimated
that the steamer was chartered to make
the trip frcm Naples to New York for
about $4,000, with a profit Of over $4,000
to those who got up the immigrant party.
They cannot. necessarily, be found and
held responsible, and the only recourse
the Government had was to demand
bond in the shape of cash to indemnify 1t
against loss. The Government refused. TO
even examine the immigrants before this
was done.
The port where the immigration Bureau
officers have the most trouble with
tramp steamers Is New Orleans. There
the arrival of small lots of immigrants is
very frequent occurrence. and ignorant
foreigners would. suffer greatly il it were
rot for the care that the Bureau takes in
insisting that the owners or captains Of
the boat upon which they arrive give a
bond for their safe return in one way or
another to their hcmes where it is impos-
sib.e to allow them to land under the laws
The Recommendation to bar tramp
steamers from United States ports. when
they carried immigrants. was made to AS !
sistant Secretary Taylor nearly six months |!
ago hy the Immigration Bureau. The ex- |
peri,-ce Of the New York authorities are |
HAVING With the Gran Autila will hasten |
this ia-ision against tramp" steamers.