New-York tribune., 1902-10-19
REGULATING IMMIGRATION.
COMMISSIONER GENERAL SARGENT
ASKS FURTHER LEGISLATION.


Washington oct ,s-The annual report Of the
Commissioner General Of immigration was mace
public to-day. II shows that Of the 54s.I+3 lmTni-
grants who arrived n United states in the last
fiscal year +56. $50 males and ls23I females.
OF the entire number Of arrivals Italy supplied
1885. an increase OF 42379 over the number LOT
1901; Austria Hungary III 9S9. increase oi 'e.o''
and Russia, 1919 increase OF 22o'l MosI
European countries showed an increase. but there
was A falling Of in the arrivals from lrsIaHu
amounting to l,+23. the total from that coCHuS
being S.l3A The figures concerning ASlat' iiilili-
grafton show n decrease from China OF 30 the
total being 16i9. and an increase from Japan or
9cGl. the total being 1870 OF 10 per cent OF the
entire number arriving To- lS were unable 20 redd
OF write. but 74-63 were under fourteen years or
age Commenting on this circumstance o'n''iii9
sioner Sargent says:
II can be roughly estimated from the toreePliS ,eP
hgures how effective in excluding aliens Woub he W rs
reading test. such as that proposed DURING IN I H
Rftg RtlSd to children under fifteen and adults over
The total number of aliens not permitted TO land
was 4974, or about tUo-thirds of per cent OF the
total arrivals. OF these 3s44 were paupers 'oS h"u
loathsome diseases, were convicts and 20 con
tract labortrs Referring the rejection oi 'hoSf
coming under contracts the report says
Although migratOg has been aTgeMZ M tnGTsns1d Tsa ss
% ai.n contract Iah0rerS has dscreaSed n I5si year
Nth Nth t99se barred gPon similar srounib nbtcb t might
naturally arise from these dgures that the sue
temps fo gnn aeccss to to the the ntd states in
regard OF its provisions is iradmisSble N NieS VI
reached the bureau upon this subject during the
year under consideration.
Referring th- alien contract labor bill pending
in the Senate, the Commissioner General expresses
the hope that il may pass at the next session
Mr.. Sargent finds that the sanguine view eN-
pressed in the last annual report Of the bureau as
10 the effect Of careful examination by the United
States Marine Hospital surgeons on the trahSp"I'd
tion lines bringing diseased aliens 10 American
ports has not been confirmed by the experience OF
the last year. He adds:
one-third over that OF 1901 but the comparatvee
Increase of diseased aliens for the same peiooe
has been more than two 20 one. The same race9
which exhibited the largest number of dlseasIu
Persons last YEAR maintain Their pret;iration
These agures show conclusvely the necessity tor
legislation which shall niict upon transpor!at.on .
selves from the effect Of violation of the "a" oy
competent medical inspection AT the port OF ~
eign embarkatlon. penalty proportioned 70 the
gravity OF risk 10 the health OF the AnerlTi,n ,,
s2uatr The present penalty Is the m mere Ge56g Te}q5g
line This. however, IS virtually no penalty.
He strongly advocates the provision Of the pend
ing bin on this subject pronouncing II the most
important item IN the bill.
Speaking OF the enforcement of the Chinese OK
clusion laws Mr Sargent says many obstacles
have been encountered and he thus enumerates
some Of them:
An additional year %, experience In the enforce
meut ~ the Chinese exclusion laws has served 70
confirm the opinions expressed in the last annual
report as 10 th gravity n tho fifHcultes Inherent
In the character OF the MouEoliau ToCe 20 hc met
causes suppl, rnent he steady resistance % the
Chinese % the requirements both of the laws and
OF the treaty - 1924 The ,ransoortation lines,
whose financial interests are affected are large
s.9 OF great impoFt3ne' and ~ some caSrS fA-
h.ot q lack ~ syn Iatht Win the administrator
of the law which would hnd its proper expression