New-York tribune., 1903-07-29
IMMIGRATION TRAFFIC.
Abolitioa of Consular Supervision
ySofeguards Urgently Needed.
London. July Is.

HAS NO - nam. confidential agent of the
-, ~. immigration, has supplied valuable
,,.,..t,, from Hungary, the Russian from
[,-..,s Poland and other sections. respect
,,iyitv Of the steamship companies in
7.-l.... ,ratic from those countries. He has
z...,..rsa that peasants and pedlers are en-
,he interest Of certain transatlantic
i,~es and that they have rowing commissions
- ,.ttr,fng circulars. obtaining laborers on
- contracts. and recruiting immigrants
.he most ignorant and destitute classes
-. continent These operations are con-
vftb secrecy, since foreign governments
rvio,,s 10 prevent the shipment OF emf
ITS on q large scale and the depopulation OF
- ovn territories: but the agents of steam
"a, lines have succeeded in working UP i'm
-..nse traffic by paying school teachers, village
-o.sries. priests. postmasters, peasants and
,e5lers for their services in promoting immigra-
.,or 70 the United States. Not only are paupers,
gsqraded and ignorant peasants and the most
undesirable classes in Russia and Southeastern
Furope shipped TO the United States without
supervision or restraint, but contracts for the
delivery Of laborers are carried out in defiance
NJ law The interests Of the country are not
considered by the sub-agents OF the steamship
rorrpanes and the precautions taken by the
Bureau Of Immigration under existing laws are
utterly Inadequate. More stringent laws are
needed.
Il is a singular fact that the immigration law
enacted in March. while ostensibly a reform
measure has deprived United States consular
officials Of all powers of supervision. Before II
was passed the steamship companies were re-
oufre6 70 scrutinize the lists Of immigrants and
10 sign every sheet before the ship left port.
The consuls received a fee Of 81 for every sheet
rresented 10 them. and they were empowered to
-f-aE,l
grants. The companies were required to supply
information respecting the districts from which
the immigrants had come and their ability TO
support themselves after landing IN NewYork
NJ Boston If the districts were pestilential or
spidenics were known 10 be prevailing there,
the immigrants hailing from them were ex-
Guided The consuls could also prohibit the
shipment of paupers and superannuated imni-
erants and enforce the Law against contract
labor The steamship agents We're under obli-
CATION TO satisfy the United States consuls at
the shipping ports that the immigrants were un-
Objectionable, and their arrangements for filing
the steeraEe quarters were subject to systematic
supervision. Since the enactment Of the new
law the consuls have been deprived OF these
Official functions As an act of courtesy the lists
may still be submitted TO the consular author
,ties for approval; but it is an open secret that
shipment Of steerage passengers. The lists were
formerly completed with painstaking care before
the sailing OF the ship. Partial lists are now
offered to the consuls. and the rolls are filed
out during the voyage for presentation to the
immigration officials in the United States.
One Of the objects accomplished by the new
law is an increase in the head money paid by
the steamship companies for every passenger
landed The immigration Bureau in this way
IS rendered self-sustainirg, especially when the
traffic from Europe is as large as 1t is now.
The colsuls on the other hand, have lost
considerable portion Of their income, which had
already been heavily reduced by the absorp-
ZION OF all fees except national es Treasury
dues. At some Of the ports for the shipment Of
frl,nigrants these fees for checking of the lists
of steerage passengers made UP at least one
third Of the income Of the consulate. The
American consular service is VIGOROUSLY i'll paid
and neglected. and this is a fresh attempt 10 de-
priye fl Of d legitimate source Of income and
TO leave it 70 shift for itself. The loss Of the
consular fees formerly paid by the steamship
companies and charged against the immigrants
on their passage bills releases the agents from
effective supervision in European ports, such as
Hamburg Bremen. Rotterdam. Naples, Trieste,
NarseiIles Havre, Hull, Liverpool, Southampton,
Glasgow and Queenstown. The lists are no
companies are left at liberty 10 work up their
immigration traffic by such expedients as Mr..
Marcus Braun has described in his confidential
reports 70 the United States Government. The
Immigrants cannot be landed in an American
port until the bureau officials have looked them
over and scrurnized the records; but valuable
safeguard against unrestricted immigration has
been removed at the ports of embarkation. Mr..
Braun's own reports from Russia and South
eastern Europe prove that the steamship COM
psuies. with their swarnls OF sub-agents work
ing up business for them among the lowest and
most degraded classes. need TO be closely
watched Icy the United States consuls AT the
main shipping ports.
The practice Of the United States Govern
rnent in this respect differs materially from that
Of the Dominion Of Canada A we'll organized
system for promoting immigration into Canada
has been established in the United Kingdom and
on the Continent Experienced officials are in
charge of the service, and immigrants are sub
3ected 70 rigorous investigation before they are
allowed 20 embark for their voyages across the
Atlantic. No precautions are neglected. and the
best classes Of immigrants and settlers are
sought out and aided. As the direct conse-
Quence Of the well ordered system ad3pted bv
the commissioners. there has been marked I'm.
Trovement in the class OF Europeans going out
TO Canada to And homes in the Northwest
Thrifty English and Welsh farmers artisans
and mechanics have been properly approached
and induced TO emigrate and similar class of
Germans and Scandinayians has been recruited
for citizenship in the Dominion. The imni-
grants sailing for Canada this year have taken
their savings with them. and being self-sup-
porting from the outset. have added at once TO
the material resources Of the Dominion There
have been no paupers among them They have
no. c---a nrlr Of the slnrns and cessrnnIs ~