The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-08
IMMIGRATION REPORT
COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION
FILES ANNUAL REPORT.
FOREIGN INSPECTORS FUTILE
Our Present Alien Contract Labor Law
Will Apply to All Of the Ex-
cluded Classes.
lBy Associated PreSS.l

Washington, Oct. S.-The annual re-
port Of Thomas Fitch, commissioner of
immigration at New York, has been re
ceived at the treasury department.
The report shows that the number Of
aliens who arrived during the fiscal
year ended June 80. 1901, was ASS, 496.
There were also 1896 citizens of the
United States who arrived from abroad.
From comparison of the steerage immi-
grafton for the last two years it is shown
that nearly $4,000 of the increase of last
year over the year before was in the i'm
migration from southern Italy alone.
The number of returning alien resi-
dents stands at 1915 per cent of the total
immigration. In the amount of money
brought per capita there appears to be
an appreciable increase over last year,
but the report says
THE conclusion. unfortunately is una
voidable that our immigration is con-
stantly increasing in illteracy. Not only
are we drawing more and more from the
countries where illiteracy is high, but
also the immigrants themselves are
showing higher percentages of illiteracy.
Nearly one-half of our steerage immi-
grants represent illiteracy of from 40 to
over so per cent"
rived during the year the following are
given for the principal countries:
Southern Italian, $500 males; "a, 1876
females.
Polish 25, 466 males; 1910 females.
Hebrew, 23,343 males; 1884 females.
Germany, 17,23S males; PAP females.
Slavik, $1,000 males; 1922 females.
Northern Italian, 1922 males; 4,158 fe-
males.
Scandinavian, 1920 males; 1881 fe-
males.
The total number of deportations for
the year, a decided decrease as compared
with last year, was $685. Following are
the givel causes:
Public charges, 1884; contract labor
ers, 1870; insane persons, ID; diseased,
1872; convicts, s: one year cases. 2S6.
OF the total Of immigrants 41,73S were
alien residents returning to this coun-
try.
LAS a means of protection against the
coming of convicts. fugitives from JUS
tice or anarchists" says the report, 1.-The
presence Of our Inspectors abroad would
be either futile or unnecessary. These
inspectors would naturally be dependent
on the local authorities for information.
I, their certificate as to the non-eXistence
of bad antecedents would be worthless.
: If they were to assume the right to exact
evidence of an unobjectiona BILE police
record from him, why not, it is asked,
make it at once requisite for admis-
sion to the country or make the absence
of such record upon arrival prima face
evidence of criminality?"
But even the above procedure would
not offer complete solution Of the diff
Guilty. 1t is perfectly proper to adopt any
measures to prevent the coming of such
people, provided the method is not likely
to degenerate into mere annoyance to
legitimate travel. In our own case. we
need not establish any new precedent to
enable us to accomplish this object. The
precedent is already established in the
amendment to the alien contract labor
law, which the courts have construed to
apply to all the excluded classes.
There is no reason why the same pro-
cedure should not be extended to cover
all cases of undesirable aliens, whether
of the excluded class or not. and with
out limitation of time, proper legal safe
guards being provided against abuse Of
this power"
The increase of the head tax to 80 and
an extension of the period of jurisdiction
over the immigrant from two to five
years is recommended.