New-York tribune., 1902-06-15
IMMIGRANTS' WHITE LISTS
NEW SOCIETY INTERESTED IN ITALIANS
WILL FIGHT SHARK BOARD
ING HOUSE KEEPERS.

Numbers Of prominent women in this city are
interested in the recently organized Society Iol
the Protection of Italian Immigrants, and expect
good results from the white lists of boarding
houses which the society is to have posted at
points of departure in Italy
Dangers of many sorts menace Italian imHal-
grants upon first landing, their ignorance OF Eng
lish and of American customs exposing them TO a
variety of impositions. Runners of immigrants
hotels with plausible promises and friendly an
INQUIRE about their perplexities, and offer to take
them to their friends. But instead Of doing TINS
at once, the runners first drive them 10 theli
hotel and charge an exorbtant price for the ride,
Once there these conductors often Initiate, 1t Is
said the ceremonies of the government o1lcfats'
with whom the strangers have Just had expert
ence and demand to their money The imshl-
grants have shown it before and got it all back
and so they are unsuspcious and exhibit 1t again
But the second time only part is returned. and
with sadly depleted savings they are then driVeh
to the homes OF their friends, often only a oioch
or so away and again charged for transportation
The runners all Italians. and represent Fari-
Gus italian boarding houses. At some OF the
boarding houses little nacaroni is set befor"
guests. to give color to the extoTton praetlsed
on them. 1t is claimed that runners even cress
In the government boats and sell bogus railroad
tickets for exorbitant prices to the immigrants
They have been known to sell an "L ticket for
IS to some poor fellow. whose small store was
painfully depleted by the purchase.
In addition to the white lists OF Italian board
ing houses. the society will post with them at
points of departure Italy warnings as to the
dangers enumerated, and charges to the I'M
portance of buying through tickets to the point
destination this side The latter facilitates
exit the island. and sometimes AVOIDS the
dangerous attraction of settling in New-1ork Inc
Italian Government has an Immigration aePaft-
ment look after immigrants. both when leaving
their own country and on arriving in others It's
work at this port it has turned over to the recently
formed society, together with subsidy Nheh
this becomes generally known among the inli1ll-
grants they confidence in the society
it is, they have been so preyed upon that their
suspicion has been fostered to abnormal proper
tions
FROM SOUTHERN ITALY.
A aay in the government offices Ellis Island
will give an idea OF usefulness of the society
Hour after hour the line of little dark men passes
the inspectors desk. Their faces are wrinkled and
weather beaten, even when they are young. Some
of them wear earrings. and all carry great wooden
sss covered With Hgh5 printed S T cr,mson naer
scarlet or yellow sk eHPFsshg g;ie hne men have
come straight from Calabria. away down In the toe
Of the boot or from 81 scy Ike or of
Italy Probably they have never been away from
home before for the pc PeaFaRt n wo Sne serve
in the army to come to America he mas nNed
in e5 tiny yas Spah e ee slopes
the Apennines He has worked in the gray eia
with the great man who owns it. He is agri-
cuiturist and nothing else; simple honest, lsEe-
rant hard working man. accustomed to arrest pow
erty and willing work at thing for any wages
OF the Immigrants from the north OF lta4y. wheTe
they have manufactures and silk culture, 15 or 30
per cent can read and write. OF those VINO come
from south of Rome, however. the proportion Is
reversed Out Of 13 900 immigrants from Italy last
year only 1000 came from north OF Rome
IN THE NEw-YoRk PEN"
The Immigrant at the bidding OF the officer,
shows I'D his poor little bunch Of lire. the dirty
Sims of paper that mean much 10 him; ~ Is
the AVERAGE sum in his pocketbook One may stand
an hour at q time and man pass with
more than SIS. The law says no immigrant snail
be admitted with less than $50 in his pocket but II
he is young and ablebodied and has friends with
whom he can stay until he gets work. the author1-
ties are not strict in this respect. The question
of friends is the important consideration ~
his admission, for without friends he is likely 70
become public charge in a very snort tlnle no
immigrant may leave the island unless ne KNOWS
where he is going. If he has no address, or II
the address is decipherable. he is turned into
the ''New-York pen where he may remain nVe
days before he is deported. If his friends can he
got in the time he is released .. ...
Here is where the services or the society agent
begin. He teiegraphs writes to friends. he ae-
ciphers addresses-when he can. There Is not nuch
10 be made out OF rs Basement. New-1 orK. Inc
Immigrant is perhaps going TO Luigi, who lives IN
Spring st, which is all he knows: or TO giovanni
nos which lacks def1niteness. brooklyn, fhlla-
delphia'' or Boston is frequently the only ad-
dress in the possession OF the newcomer; l49 fas
safe New jersey is hardly satisfactory, and
Then there is class OF addresses spelled strictly