Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-07

was meant. Farm hands are scarce III
the West Hans would have taken the
bread from no natives mouth
Hans convicted himself by ms own
testimony.
majority of the contract laborers are
by no means 50 guileless. They nave
been coached by some one interested III
their landing, and as the ohiy tc"''-
mony available is that when the IN
migrants themselves give, the task Oh
the board of inquiry is a difficult one.
There were two English pottera
bound for East Liverpool, o. 1h'y
had earned thirty shillings week III
the old country, and thought they
| could do better in the new.
who told you you could do better
here?"
Nobody" the Englishman answered,
with suspicious promptness.
| The chairman of the board of inquiry
| assumed the severity of Il cross-eXaih-
| ming lawyer. do you mean to ten
ME you gave up Il job that you've had
for seven years, at thirty shiliinSs u
week, to come here on a mere vent
| ure2"
"Oh, our old foreman has been IN
East Liverpool three years. and he SAID
he could get job at three pound a
| week"
Have you his letter with you?'
| No, sir"
Did he promise to get you job at
three pounds a week.?
| Yes, sir
Clearly a case of contract labor. Inc
two young potters must go back crest
fallen to face the jeerS of the fellow
workmen whom they left with many a
boast only week before.
The board of inquiry is accustomed
to attempts to evade and is prone TO be
severe The casual visitors sympathy
is apt to be with the immigrant. 1t
seems a serious matter to smash in a
| moment all the hopes of a man who
has been planning for years to begin n
new life in the New World. An Eng
lish potter tranSplanted to ohio might
! write back TO some former comrade
that Jobs go a-begging where he is, and
that the pay is high. The letter might
pass from hand to hand among his old
acuuaintanceS. and as a result of ii n
dozen ambitious ones might set out for
| America. This would not be "A case OF
contract labor, and Yet, before Il board
of severe cross-examiners, an immi-
grant might we'll say things that would
make il appear so.
Two Scotch coal miners bound for
Ogden were suspected of having made
contracts before they set out. They
had made from eight To twelve shillings
Il day at home. they said. and saved
over hundred pounds. The only
colliery III their native village had
closed down and they thought they
would come To America rather than
move to another village in Scotland
| Why did they chose ogden? BeVause.
an uncle of one of them vas there,
and beside. they had joined the Nor
mon church They had wives and fam
lilies. ana expected to bring them over
as soon as they got settled. They
didn't know how much they would
make in Utah. and no one had prom
Used them jobs. they said. but they
thought jobs ought to be plenty in
America. The members of the board
of inquiry We're very suspicious. but
severe cross examination failed TO re-
veal any evidence ANA the Scotchmen
we've permitted to land
1t was nearly seven o'clock when the
board adjourned, ana the work Of the
Immigrant commissioners was oyer
Not quite over, either. for several Of
the. immi grants who had been per
mittcd to land if friends came for them
failed to find their friends: ana there
was much sending of kilograms and
despatChing of mcsscngcrS-all to be
done 10y the immigrant inspectors. Al
ways there are few of these cases.
ana they mr.. ALWAYS pathrtir The
officials are careful in this respect.
They know the dangers that would be
set u friendless immigrant. contiding
in every chance stranger, and none
of them are allowed to land until their
friends appear. The care of the
officials is supplemented by committees
from various church societies. from
the Charitable Irish Society and from
other organizations. who hunt UP the
friends Of the immigrants and care for
them until their friends appear.
| If ever the necessity forces You or
human interest induces you to cross
the water in the stecragc, come via.
| Boston rather than New York. for il is
the Northern races that travel by the
Boston gate, and they have the clean
ness and the WholeSomcneSs that seem
to go with the fierce winds and keen
atmosphere of the North sea and the
Baltic; come in the autumn or winter.
for the holds then are not one-tenth
full. and it is the crowding that makes
the steerage unattractive. Mark Sulli
van in Boston Transcript.
Cleanliness.
|