Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-11
IMMIGRATION TOPORIORICO
INSPECTOR DOBLER REPORTS THE
RESULTS OF HIS OBSERVATIONS
Many Come From the Other Is,apd. a.
the West Indies Who Should
BE Kept Out.

roman Dobler, the immigrant inspector
VINO was sent by Commissioner PowderIv
10 examine into the conditions in Porto
RICO with a view to the establishment of
sui'apIe immigrant service, has returned
TO the United States and submitted bis 70
port He says that the most undesirable
immigration to the island is from The
brish West Indies-St. Johns, Tortolo
santa Cruz, st. kits, Nuevas British
GRENADA, barbados. Barbuda and Jamaica.
also from the Danish island of St Thomas
anu 'iie french island Martinique. There
is constant migration from these islands
TO Porto Rico. The negroes from those fs
iands are lawless and intemperate class
and do not live peaceably with the nstiyes
of Porto Rico
FuSftfves and Refugees
MI. pobier says that six regular foreign
steamship lines touch semi-montbIy a, d.
three principal ports of the island These
are one French, two German one English
one Italian and one Spanish.
MT. Dopler says that Porto Rico is now
Gnu mas Always been an asylum for fuei-
yves and political refugees from South
American countries. Numbers of this CLASS
are now arriving from Venezuelan norris
social unrest anu
From July ], 1899, to Nav 81. 1000 tho
number of passengers and immiprants a.
rived at San Juan, exclusive of arrivals on
transports of the United States was 1sG
i nits OF tnem Porto Ricans and Americans.
although there were 1.439 Spaniards Al
romeo the arrivals were 054 and AT MAYA
guez 1872
Restriction Of immigration.
Mr. Dobler makes the following recon-
mendations:
would respectfully report that owing
TO the conditions, social and economic, that
prevail in Porto Rico the congested nonu-
lation, the poverty of the inhabitants The
misery OF the laboring classes the lack or
Intelligent effort TO raise them to the plapa
OF American citizenship there should be the
very str1ctest enforcement If the federal
immigration laws. The industries are Crude
except for few Improvements by Ameri-
calls, and, while the soil and climatic con-
dltions are favorable to progress the lack
Of energy and the suspicion OF -oreign in
reference in local affairs which Is the
basic principle of the Latin Amcs-can neo
pie, will retard the develo,,n.c-s OF the
Island. In my opinion indiscri inmate i'm
migration would be detrimental. From as
critical review of the situation and ms
close an investigation as my limited time
permitted, would recommend that all i'm
migration or the laboring classes be discour-
aged and that the undesirable inha bitants
OF adjacent islands be- as far as possible,
prohibited Strenuous measures should
be used to ascertain the number
OF these islanders who are typical
birds Of prey, as. in fact. they are
birds of passage. They are consumers not
producers. The population OF Porto Rico.
as lis well known, is already dense and
measures should be used to elevate its char
acter rather than to introduce new ele-
ment- The process of assimilation will
under the most favorable circums tances. be
slow and tedious.
Commissioner of Immigration.
L would recommend further trat a COM
missioner of immigration be appointed, ana
that two immigrant inspectors with sta
tons at San Juan and Ponce, should also
be designated. These. with the aid Of an
interpreter. could do much to do away with
many of the evils now prevalent Owing to
the great similarity in the personal appear
ance Of the West Indian islanders and the
Porto R!cans. It Will require that q constant
supervision be exercised. The commission
er, with headquarters at either San Juan
or Ponce, could be in close touch with both
the northern and southern sides Of the
island. and could have a general survey of
the whole field"