, 1900-02-17
PEOPLE We BAR OUT
BIG INCREASE IN DEPORTA-
TION OF THE IMMIGRANT
CLASSES.
Senes in Barge Office-Worry of the
Committee in Charge of the Inves-
LEGATIONS - Pathetic Incidents -
Various Pretexts by Which For
eigners Seek to Evade Provisions.

eigners Seek to Evade Provisions.
New York, Feb. 14.-When a trans
Atlantic steamer is making ready to
sail, the tirst-cabin passengers are too
much occupied with their own leave
takingss and sensations to give much
thought to the humble folk who are be-
ing crowded into the steerage. If, by
chance, they do notice sobbing and
wailing among poor-clad groups on the
pier, they pay little attention to the
exhibition. Now, if they would de-
vote a trifle more of their attention to
the woe of the steerage. they would
find much to interest them. There is
the crying s~entimentality and gentle
emotion. That's one thing. There is
the sobbing of utter despair. That's
another thing, altogether.
On almost every outgoing steamer
that carries steerage passengers there
is a group of men, women and children
who stand out distinctly from among
their fellows. They have been brought
to the pier a tritie early, arriving hud-
died together in large express wagons
and guarded by burly men, in uni
form. AS the wagons rattle along the
streets in the early morning the occu-
pants are, as a rule, quiet enough. They
even seem interested in the scenes
around them: but, when the wagons
draw up before the pier, and the ship
comes into view, a shock run through
the forlorn groups and the air is filled
with vocalized grief. There is swear
ing, and pleading, and lamentation, in
Yiddish, Polish, Italian, Syrian, and
n one of a score of other tongues.
There is wild sobbing in the internal
tional code of distress. There is re-
sistance, sometimes even downright re-
bellion. The officers in charge are
used to such scenes. They use persua-
sion, consolation, force, if necessary.
Their charges are hustled aboard the
ship. Some go quietly, in a dull apathy
of despair. Others make the air ring
with their protestations. Occasionally
there is a savage fight for liberty, al
ways ending in n way. The fighter
is overpowered and put aboard the ship
without ceremony. The officials are
not brutes. They have hearts, in good
working order, concealed about their
persons. They don't lie the work, but
| thau 49,. nn,rvipu out thn Low VI and in
cidentally, posing as angels with fam
ing swords. They are deporting. immi-
grants excluded from American resi-
dence as dangerous to the welfare and
prosperity Of the country.
Foreigners who want to walk into
this country, without money and with
out let or hindrance, were born too
late. Within ten years the number of
deportations has increased nightly.
In 1889, the d~eportations numbered
424. In 1899, 1886 immigrants were
barred from the promised land. Yet
the total number of immigrants apply
ing for admission in 1889 was far in
excess Of that of 1899.
How do you account for the increase
in the proportion of deportations?"
asked a reporter of the commissioner.
"In two ways was the reply. The
laws are more strictly enforced, and the
class of immigration is worse"
Then he produced a chart. Charts
are as plentiful in the immigration bu-
raot, Nc h1a nlylxrrtar l., v,pa. md Of
ter some practice, even the lay mind
can grasp their intricacies.
The causes which bar an immigrant
from America are many, but, among
them, pauperism, the probability of
the foreigners becoming a public
charge, and violation of the contract
labor law cut the greatest figure-idi-
ocy, insanity, ETC., coming in much
smaller proportions. The steamship
companies are required to examine
carefully every immigrant before he is
taken on board ship, and, if he is in
eligible to admission t. New York, to
refuse passage to him. This being the
case, if, on being examined at New
York, an immigrant is found to be in
eligible, the steamship company Is held
responsible for him, pays his expenses
during detention, and gives him free
return passage upon the next steamer
of the same line sailing. Ordinarily,
save in the case of English-speaking
immigrants, the unlucky creatures do
MT BpNuv that tha yArItat hnr an