Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-24
ARRIVAL OF ALIENS
Report Of Commissioner Cen
eral Of immigration.
YEARLYRECORD BROKEN
FOREIGNERS WHO CAME IN AG-
GREGATED e21 1915.
It is Thought That the Mexican Border
Will Be the Next Point Of At
tack Of the Chinese.
YEARLYRECORD BROKEN

In his annual report to The Secretary of
the Treasury the commissioner general of
immigration refers to the fact that the
bureau was transferred from the treasury
to the Department of Commerce and La
Dor by the act of February IA last, but
that since the transfer did not take effect
until the beginning of the fiscal year 1904
he presents for the consideration Of the
Secretary of the Treasury the operations
of the bureau for the fiscal year ended
June 80. 1903. Hereafter Secretary Cortel-
you will be the official to whom the report
will be submitted.
The report shows that there were S57, O46
immigrants entered at the several ports of
the United States during the fiscal year,
and that Of this number 631 1856 came
through the port Of New York. Boston
was second. with 62,S3S, and Baltimore and
Philadelphia followed in that order. with
55S02 and 27,16O, respectively, and through
Canadian ports came 1920 During 1902
the total immigration was 6iS,143 the past
year showing an excess Of 20S.3O3, or az
per cent Hawaii and Porto Rico being
Included in this report the former is cred
tied with having grown by immigration
during the past year to the extent OF A.
$50, the latter with 2,12O. The most notice
able feature of this immigration Is the In
crease shown at New Bedford Mass, that
port having received 326 in 1902 and 1899
In 1903. The decrease at Portland, Me-,
from 1854 TO 60 is also noted.
The Banner Year for immigration.
OF the total steerage immigration there
came from Europe S14507. from Asia 29,068
and from all other sources 1858. If to
these figures are added those representing
the total arrivals of alien cabin passengers
.269), the result will show that. ire
spective of those coming from Canada and
Mexico either as residents or citizens Of
those countries, of whom no record is kept,
the total immigration of aliens to the
United States during the year aggregated
921.315. or 105,e43 more than the greatest
number heretofore reported for any one
year.
The countries sending the greatest pro-
portion of immigrants were Austria un-
gary, Italy and Russia, which contributed
a total of 512, 126. OF the total of S5IyO46
steerage aliens landed on our shores 613,-
146 were males and 243,9OO were females,
of whom TO-, 49, were less than fourteen
years of age, 1868 ranged from fourteen
to forty-fve and 40562 were forty-five
years old and over. There were OF these
3,3i1 who could read but not write ana
1S5,667 who could neither read nor write,
leaving a balance able both to read and
write of 6GS 03S 1t also appears that 81, IO2
of these steerage aliens had been in the
United States before; that 12S,266 OF them
brought each $50 in money or more that
total amount of money shown by them TO
the officers was S1611I,5l3.
Comparative Thrift Of Immigrants.
As showing the comparative thrift of the
races attention Is directed to the fact that
the IL $50 Germans brought s2,4SoG3 while
the 196117 South Italians had but S2l39,-
or: that the 2S,451 English brought ST.
4O5 800 while about the same number OF
Magyars, 2712i, showed only &41 4O1, and
the ,29U7 Croatians and Sloventans but
S4o1 III.
Excluding the Undesirables.
The commissioner notes that the exclusion
of foreign contract laborers and persons
suffering with dangerous and contagious
diseases was greater than during any year
since the establishment of the bureau and
was entirely due to the extra vigilance and
precautions of the officers charged with the
enforcement of the laws. he says That
there has been Wanton disregard by the
TRANSFORMATION companies of the laws In
these instances and commends the wisdom
of the act of Congress that imposes PEN
atty for the introduction of diseased per-
sons into the United States.
The report suggests the ACCESSIBILITY of
remedial legislation looking toward fur
Their restriction of undesirable immigration
and suggests that al least the ability to
read and Write their native tongues be
part of the requirements of the home
seeker on American soil. This measure, If
it becomes a law will relieve the Ameri
can people of the necessity of educating In
our free schools the ignorant foreigners
who are annually fiocking to our shores by
the million.
Canada, which was formerly the easiest
gateway into the United States, has now
become as formidable to the immigrant as
any of the ports of the country and 1t is
expected that the resourceful ones will now
turn to the Mexican border for entrance.
tIo,,l ~,
reason that border will come under the
watchful eye Of the bureau and every point
looked after where the law may be violat-
ed This work will necessitate the employ
ment of many active. young and Intelligent
officers whose mission 1t will be to guard
the long stretch of boundary from the Gulf
Of Mexico to the Pacific ocean.
Keeping Out the Chinese.
Marked Improvement is noted in the ad-
ministration of the Chinese exclusion laws
although the resourceful orientals are con-
stantly inventing new schemes by means
OF which they can enter the promised land.
The chief means used in violating the law
Is for Chinese applicants for admission to
boldly cross the land boundaries, submit
TO arrest for having entered through some
other than a lawful port and. upon trial
before United States commissioner, to
claim that they were born In the United
States.
To support this claim abundant Chinese
testimony is offered upon the point at issue,
which ii is hardly necessary to state that
the government is unable to refute. It's
only recourse is to cast discredit upon the
witnesses by showing inconsistencies as to
details of their evidence upon the same
point. railing to succeed in this, for the
| Chinese witnesses have, as a rule been
| thoroughly drilled beforehand. the prison.
| ers in most Instances have been discharged
not, be 1t observed. as admissible Chinese
| but as American citizens.
| In those instances in which the trial Off
| Ger decides favorably to the government
| the Chinaman affected thereby always has
a right of appeal to the United States dis
| trict court, right which he rarely fails to
| avail himself of. provided he can raise the
| necessary amount to satisfy attorneys of
| the class who make a speciality of such
| practice. The government a no stage has
| such right of appeal. and in the majority
| of cases, therefore, the commissioners of
| States ar I'M