New-York tribune., 1901-09-27
RESTRICT IMMIGRATION
NEW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT
SUGGESTED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Some years ago. during the cholera excite
ment. L published article advocating the crea-
ton of q department in the government. with a
Cabinet officer it's head, which should have con-
troll of everything pertaining to immigration
pointed out that about half million of immigrants
landed each year upon our shores. and that this
fact with all that grew out of it, created inter-
est quite great some other interests which
special departments devoted.
At the time the article was prompted chiefly by
considerations of the public health but the
death of President Mckinley at the hand of an
anarchist gives tenfold emphasis to the need of a
rigid supervision of the foreign element constantly
received among us.
While have ALWAYS recognized the fact that
persons belonging to the criminal classes of Eu-
rope came in alarming numbers to this country.
we nave not until now awakened to the terrible
consequences to which we are exposed from the
easy access permitted to these people.
To meet this newly discovered danger. we'll
to provide for requirements long since generally
recognized, l renew the suggestion with regard to
new department, to be known the Department
of immigration, with officers at home and abroad
having defined powers and duties covering the
whole subject of immigration from the moment
when a person proposes TO exchange a residence
from his country for in own to the time
when he becomes eligible for American citizenship.
The plan would include the designation of
tain foreign ports conveniently distributed from
which alone the embarkation of immigrants would
be permitted At these ports medical officers of
the department would be stationed with full power
secured by treaty to enforce the regulations
agreed upon by the United States and the several
powers, the observance of these regulations being
the condition of permitting the passengers to land
ports
law of Congress would require that any per-
son proposing to emgrate to this country SHALL as
the first step, put himself In communication with
the American consul nearest to his place of resi-
dence. and shall furnish said consul satisfac-
tory evidence that he is and has always been a
iawaoidng citizen. and especially that ne never
exhibited the slightest sympathy with anarchy
Under ordinary circumstances this evidence should
include duly attested certificate from the de-
partment of police from the civil authorities of
the town or precinct where he lives. In times
of public insurrection revolution when for po-
htical reasons such evidence might be withheld
the consuls within the affected district should be
instructed 10 modify this requirement within GER
tam limits 10 suit the conditions of the place and
times. II would be seldom indeed. that the proper
dlstlnction could not be made between the pa
trIot exile and the originally disposed anarchist
But not all persons who are not criminally in
cnns, are ereLore deSlraDle citizehs ana the
tpIlsuI sh9uio nave at the same time proof that
the Intending immigrant is not a pauper. feeble
When satisfied on all these points he would give
certificate thereto and a permit emitting the re-
hcer at a given port Of embarkation. This permit
would contain a full description of the individual
Sucn as is usual In a passport and would be made
IN % copy & to & be retained in [he consulate
indorse the same and would make a final exam
ination before the embarkation. and would detain
any person having a communicable disease
IL would also he the duty of this officer pre-
vent overcrowdng of vessels and other violations
of laws relating to passenger traffic.
On arrival in this country these permits would
be inspected before allowing the passenger land
and any immigrant having proper permit
duly indorsed by the officer at the port of emharka-
tton would be detained on board and sent back in
the returning vessel
Officers OF the department the ports of de-
barkatfon would tndOrSe and register the permits
which would then be given back. and would serve
ultima tey the basis of naturalization and with
out such permit no one would be admitted to citi-
zenship.
It would also be the duty Of these officers 70 pro-
tect the newly arrived immigrant against the swim
dlers by whom he NAV he heset and to help him to
End his way - any point in the interior which may
be his destination.
a further field of action for the department would
be i'm furnishing information 20 would-be immi-
grants and after their arrival In facilitating their
distribution parts of the country in which their
labor is most in demand In effect this would
establish national labor exchange. to the
benefit of employers well employed.
1t may be objected that all this might he done
without a separate department in the government
But when consider that the duties in question
would otherwise he shared by at least three of the
existing departments whose functions would more
overlap Il will he conceded that greater dt-
rectness and efficiency of action would be secured
} by single force pursuing a single OBJECT The
cost of a separate department would he insisnifl-
cant compared with the end In view:
ANDREW II. SMITH. NJ d.
New-York, Sept "a. 1901