The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-10-15
AN AGE LIMIT FOR ALIENS.

A Washington correspondent of the
Brooklyn Eagle learns that Mr.. Sar-
gent, the commissioner general Of i'm
migration. believes that the number of
aliens coming to our shores is getting
so large that remedies other than those
already proposed will have to be
adopted if it is to be kept within rea-
sonable check. Consequently, he has
decided to recommend the passage of a
law excluding from the United States
all aliens over certain age.
In the opinion of Mr. Sargent too
many old men and women are sent to
this country with insufficient means
for support. Steps have been taken to
secure accurate Information as to the
proportion of men and women immi-
grants landed here above the ages of
40, 40, 80, 55, and 60 years. 1t has
not yet Leen determined at what age
the limit shall be fixed, that being
something that Congress is expected
to settle, but Mr.. Sargent will submit
lot of facts and figures which will
assist the work of deciding the proper
limit
Mr.. Sargent believes that no hard
and fast rule should be established, but
that sliding scale should be provided
so that it will strike that point in the
life of each individual where his abil-
ity to support himself becomes doubt
full. This proposed law is not to affect
those who come here to join sons,
daughters or other relatives who are
able to take care of them, but it is in
tended to shut off great many people
who have just enough money to pre-
vent their exclusion on the charge
that they are liable to become a public
charge, yet who are past that age
when they are desirable as laborers of
various kinds. This is an entirely new
proposition in the general considera-
ton of means for limiting immigra-
ton, and it will be submitted to Con-
gress at the coming session.
Mr.. Sargent further believes that
it would be we'll to increase the sum
of money required to be held by aliens
on arriving in this country. In a
great many instances foreigners arrive
with barely the required limit, and
unless they receive immediate employ
ment they get into trouble and are apt
to become objects of charity. Mr.
Sargent thinks that the sum should be
placed at figure large enough to pro-
vide for the individual for a number of
weeks, so that if he should fail to Sc
cure ready employment he can support
himself These are two of the import
ant points that Mr.. Sargent will bring
out in his forthcoming report. An
other is the question of medical in
spection Of aliens at the ports of de-
parture rather than at the ports in
this country. 1t is believed that the
adoption of this proposition would
save much money to aliens and to the
steamship companies as well. In ad-
dition it would protect thousands OF
immigrants from the dangers of con-
tracing diseases from infected persons
on the passage over.
81 was over at New York the other
day." said Mr.. Sargent, "and the ar
rivals at that port for that day num-
bered 1900. The tide of immigration
is as big as ever, and the chances are
that the phenomenal record of the past
year will be exceeded by the current
year. The proportion of Italians is
still large enough to excite continued
talk. Il have prepared a statement of
the number of immigrants we have
had from Italy since 1920, and find it
reaches the enormous total of /, $50, =
ATT OF course the great bulk of them
have come in recent years. For in
stance, the number of Italian arrivals
in 1900 was 100, 1876; in 1901 it was
1876, 996; in 1892 it was 17S, 375 and last
year it was $50, 622.
Mr.. Sargent says that Congress must
deal with the question that has lately
been advanced of distributing the
newly arrived immigrants in certain
States where more people are needed
and in order to do away with the evil
of packing the large cities with the
new foreign element The housewives
of Washington would be grateful fol-
the adoption of any scheme that would
cause Irish, English, German ano
Swedish girl immigrants to come to
this city. They are badly needed al
servants, for the local stock of negro
women who form the majority Of
Washington servants is growing more