Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-12-18
TALKS.
Witnesses on the Bill Heard BY
the Senate Committee.
What FRANK SARGENT OBSERVED.
The Commissioner Says Mexican Poems Are
Struggled Into Colorado and Mexican
Mines, Are Paid Little and Fed
from Troughs Like Hogs.

Washington, Dec. 13.-The hearings
on the immigration bill by the senate
committee on immigration were con-
cluded yesterday. The testimony
taken was largely in the interest Of
legislation and willingness was
manifested on the part of important
witnesses to submit to the elimina-
ton of the provision for an educa-
tional test, should such action prove
necessary to secure the success Of
the bill. Commissioner General Of
immigration Frank Sargent said that
while he would prefer the retention
Of the educational requirement, he
recognized the fact that that fea-
ture could be sacrificed without de-
stroying the efficacy OF the bill.
With the other portions Of the bill
unimpaired he believed that most OF
the undesirable illiterates could be
kept out under other restrictions.
Mr.. Sargent made an urgent plea
for retention Of the So head tax, say
ing that with the increased vigilance
necessary more money would be re-
quired to meet the expenses Of the
service. He spoke especially Of the
necessity for increased vigilance on
the Mexican frontier and said that
he recently had secured information
by personal observation Of the snug
Cling into this country Of q large
number Of the most undesirable ele-
ment Of Mexico, poems who were will
ing to work at from Is cents to IS
cents per day. These people, he said,
were fed from troughs, as hogs
might be, and were treated just as
slaves. They were finding employ
ment in the mines Of Colorado and
New Mexico.
Robert Watchorn, in charge Of the
United States immigration inspection
service in Canada, with headquarters
at Montreal, supplied the committee
with a great deal of information con-
corning the operations Of the inspec-
ton system on the Canadian border.
He advocated the elimination of the
provision Of the bill excepting rail-
road lines entering the Unite. States
from contiguous territory from the
penalty for bringing in insane, dis
eased and idiotic aliens. He also
said the bill would be improved II
all the provisions relating to Canada
should be stricken out except section
SO, placing the entire regulation Of
border immigration in the hands Of
the immigration bureau. He said
that owing to the strict requirements
made by our laws Of steamship lines
coming into the United States there
had been an almost entire elimina-
ton Of undesirable immigrants land
ing at American ports, but that the
reverse was true of immigrants COM
ing into the United States through
Canada, the percentage of diseased
persons coming through Canada be-
ing GO, while of those coming direct
to the United States the proportion
was only one-tenth Of one per cent.
This, he said, was the result Of de-
sign and not OF accident, the immi-
grafton agents in Europe furnishing
badges to immigrants showing them
to be diseased or not.
Commissioner David Healy,. with
headquarters at Victoria, B. G., gave
similar testimony concerning the ne
cessity for guarding the northwest
frontier. He spoke especially of the
danger from an invasion of Japanese
coolies.