The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-09-17

rather han go to the expense of car
rying them back to Liverpool on the
count that they might become public
charges. Accordingly they passed
out of the hands of Uncle Sans men
and were summary packed off to
New York.
About %one-fifth of the Western
lands steerage passengers went di-
rectly to New York, a few remained
scattered through towns from the At
lantic to Il Pacific.
In New York there are many be-
nevolent organizations hat make it
a business to assis t unfortunate
aliens. Almost every European ma
ton supports some such organization,
and these play no small part in the
system of flooding America with the
undesirable subjects of foreign lands.
At No. Is West Houston street,
New York, a big white building is
the home of the Italian Benevolent
institute. f. Filomarino is the agent
in charge. He frankly admitted to
the writer that the establishment
vas maintained almost entirely by
the Italian government, and that his
business was to care for penniless
Italian immigrants until work could
be found for them, to steer them
Alright and protect them from the
villiany of confidence men who prey
upon their ignorance.
How much Toe the italian gov
eminent give YOU a year," vas asked.
Last year we received from that
source $1,000" said Filomarino. Then
there are many private contributors"
The agent displayed a number of
confederate bills, of large denomina-
tions, which he said had been palmed
off on unsuspecting immigrants for
face value in Italian money. "Of
what race are these tricksters?" The
agent replied: Il regret to say they
are mainly Italians. And l may add
that I have been caring for immi-
grants here for IL years, and during
that time l have never seen such
miserable specimens of humanity as
those who are entering the United
States at the present time. My home
is in Italy, but I have never seen
there such wretched classes of peo-
pie. Where they come from puzzles
me-"
After he had supervised the in
speetion of the first $3.50 immigrants
at Philadelphia, Assistant Commits
Cinpnr II,oIac co;1. at hoxo 49,
been able to discover any marked diff
ference between the immigrants who
come in at this cheap rate and those
who have fiocked here during the past
six months. They are good, bad and
Indifferent, and the latter, as usual,
predominant.
Il expect that some of those who
have been detained will eventually be
passed. Those suffering from cur
able diseases will be treated and
maintained at the expense of the
steamship company. OF course, all
immigrants rejected are deported at
the expense of the steamship COM
pany that accepted them.
Very few of the W~esternland's
quota were found to be without
money. A few are being detained
because no friends have arrived to
care for them. There were a large
number of corrections to be made in
the manifests. but this is not un-
usual. In the ease of the young
Russian Jew and his wife who were
not found registered upon the mani
tests the steamship company will be
fined $40.
II notice nothing unusual about
the final destination of these immi-
grants. There are a good many wom-
EN- with children, come to Join hus-
band in other cities and towns.
Often in these cases no one comes
to claim the women, and, If they can
show letters from their husbands in
dicating their willingness to support
them. and a prepaid ticket to their
destination. they are passed through,
providinfi all other conditions are
met.