The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-24
ALL RECORDS BROKEN.
Immigration This Year Largest
in COuntry's History.


port of Commissioner General Frank p.
Sargent of the bureau of Immigration
SHOWS a large increase of steerage Inn
migration over that of the preceding
year, the aggregate for the fiscal year of
1903 being S57, 046 an excess over that OF
last year Of POS 303. or 81 per cent. The
statistics show an increase of immigra-
ton from all foreign sources, ana CSug-
gest as chief cause of the influx OF aliens
into the United States during the year
the lnducement offered to settlers here
rather than any special causes of dis
content in their own countries
OF the total steerage immigratio
there came from Europe 814,507, from
Asia 1856 and from all other sources
Iz'454; II all to these figures are added
those representing the total arrivals of
alien cabin passengers 81 269 the re-
suit will show that the total i1nmigra-
ton OF aliens to the United States dur
ing the year aggregated 921,315, or 1885,
04S more than the greatest number here
tofore reported for any one year. The
greatest number of immigrants, 230, 622,
came from Italy, an increase or 52,24I
over last year; Austria-Hungary fur
n1shed 206,011. an increase of "a, 022;
Russia 136,093, an increase of 2S.746;
Germany 4O,0S6. an increase of 11,7S2;
Sweden 46.02S an increase of 5,134; Ire
land 1910. an increase of 6,172, and
England 26,219. an increase of 1861.
OF the Oriental countries, Japan was
foremost, with 1858. an increase of
5,698. while China contributed 2,20s, an
OF the total number of steerage aliens
613, 146 were males and 1880 were fe-
males, of whom 102,431 were less than
IA years of age. There were of these
3,341 who could read, but could not
write, 1867 who could neither read nor
write, leaving remainder able to both
read and write of 66S,03S. The total
amount of money brought by them into
the United States was $16.117. 51S. Elk
elusive of those denied admission at
the land boundaries of the United States
1859 alien immigrants were rejected for
various causes, the number of reflections
being nearly double those of the pre-
ceding year. OF these, 5,812 were pau
pers 1,773 were afflicted with disease
and 1,086 were contract laborers- Con-
corning these figures, Commissioner Sar-
gent says:
LAS regards the rejection of diseased
aliens, I must reiterate the statement
made in the last annual report, that
It exhibits upon the part of some of
the transportation lines such a Wanton
disregard of the laws of the country
as fully vindicates the wisdom of con-
greSs in authorizing by the act, APP
proved March 1903, the imposition of
penalty for bringing diseased aliens to
the country in those cases in which the
exercise of disease was perceptible at
the time of foreign embarkat1On.
Commissioner Sargent strongly rec
ommends that an examination by COM
petent medical officials be made of i'm
migrants on behalf Of this government
at foreign ports. He believes that skill
led physicians representing this gov
eminent should be detailed for this ser
vice. The commissioner refers to the
grave danger to the country found IN
the colonizing of alien communities In
our great cities. such colonies" he
said ARE a menace to the physical, so
cial, moral and political security of the
country
Removed from the sweat shops and
sIums of the great cities and given the
opportunity to acquire home, every
alien, however radical his theories of
government and individual rights may
have been, will become conservative.
a. supporter in theory and practice of
those institutions under whose benign
protection he has acquired and can de-
fend his household goods. Suitable leg
islation is therefore strongly urged to
establish agencies by means of which
either with or without cooperation of
states. aliens shall be made acquainted
with the resources of the country at
large, the industrial needs of the va
rious sections. in both skilled and I'M
skilled labor, the cost of living. the
wages paid, the prices and capabilities
of lands-in short. all of that informa-
ton furnished by some of the great
railwaVs."
| Commissioner Sargent in view of the
arrival of approximately one million
emigrants annually. urges that legisla-
ton be enacted to improve the quality.
morally and Intellectually. of those ad-
mitted.
The report indicates a marked i'm
provement in the enforcement of the
complex and strongly resisted Chinese
exclusion laws. Experience has proved
good teacher in these laws. and their
enforcement is accompanied with
minimum of friction. The commits
sioner expressed confidence that the
efforts of the bureau to enforce these
| laws will prove much more successful
than they have proved at any time
heretofore.