The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-28
INCREASE IN IMMIGRATION.
A Report of the Commissioner sta
toned at New York.

The Commissioner of immigration at
New York has submitted his annual re-
port Of the work of inspecting immi-
grants at that port for the fiscal year
ending June 30 last. The period covered
is the last year of the first decade of Fed
eral control of immigration, and Com
missioner Fitchie's report is extensive.
The total number OF aliens arriving at
New York last year was 400, S42 To
zens, making total OF 500. 602 individuals
who came within the scope of inspection at
the Barge Office. OF the latter number
21,057 were steerage passengers. OF the
aliens arriving 345, 706 came by steerage;
of these 1894 were in transit through the
United States and sc, 765 were alien resi-
dents returning to this country, leaving
304, 947 Immigrants" within the common
acceptation of the term.
1t appears from the report that there is
steady increasing tendency OF immigra-
ton from south European and Oriental
countries. Notwithstanding the fact that
the immigration for last year shows an
increase OF nearly 100000 over that of the
previous year. the old sources of immigra-
ton, Scandinavia the German Empire, and
the United Kingdom, altogether contrib
uted only 1922 toward this increase. I'm
migration from Austria Hungary has in
creased $1,000 the past year or those i'm
migrants coming from Russia there is
about the same proportion as ever of He
brews. Poles, Germans, and Firms, and the
report says that no other elements In Rus
sia's complex population evince any in
clination to come here
immigration is expected to increase from
the Balkan States, Greece, and Turkey.
The immigration of Croatians and Slavs,
which began few years ago, is now more
than double that of the English Rou-
mania sends here practically as many i'm
migrants as Norway.
A comparison of the DECORATIONS of IL ST
year with the previous year shows prac-
tically 10 increase and an actual falling
on in the number of contract labor cases
and these deported for diseases. The re-
port says that this fact should not be
attributed to any improvement in the
character of the immigrants. but rather
to the better state of preparedness" in
which the contract laborer comes here and
to the probability that diseased persons
and public charge cases are carefully
looked after. Statistics as to occupation
taken from immigrants are only valuable,
the report says, so far as they show the
calling which the immigrant pursues prior
to leaving his native country. The immi
grants race is, however, a fairly good
criterion Of the field or industry which
the individual will eiiter into here
Races having a compSa tongue and in
terests follow certain occupations, it is
said The repor. says that there is no
doubt that the rigid examination of i'm
migrants in the medical division as to
chronic or conta gious diseases has stimu-
lated the steamship companies in prevent
ing the embarkation OF this class He
touches upon the subject OF Objectionable
Italian immigrants and deplores the fact
that there are thousands of persons in
Italy whose sole occupation consists in
fomenting popular discomfort and per-
suading the people to come to this coun-
| try. More Objectionable, he claims. than
the Italian immigrants are those from
! the Orient. These are Syrians and Greeks,
who crowd into certain classes of occu-
patton and may be generally found as
peddlers, pushcart vendors, and itinerants.
who soon become public nulsances.
In regard to admission of immigrants
the Commissioner says that 1t is failacious
to claim that no standard of fitness for
immigrants can be adopted. The commits
sioner continues: II believe that II the
| Department Will establish one standard, as
low as may be possible the general results
Will be very much improved"
The total receipts at the Barge Office
from head tax for the past year amounted
to s457, 172 and the disbursements were
| S1s5, 1858, leaving balance of S271,704