Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-05

for their labor for a certain period at wages
slightly in advance of those paid in Italy.
but very much less than those paid In the
United States. The padrOnes pay their
passage both ways and send them to the
United States in gangs. which are leased to
contractors who are building railroads, sew
ers and other large work. The padrones re-
ceive their wages and pocket the difference.
This system prevails very extensively,
particularly in Italy. About a year ago.
while in Rome, I visited Carpentino, VIII
lage in the mountains. where the late Pope
Leo XIII was born, and Count Pecci, his
nephew, told me that between 1900 and
500 men from his estates and that neigh
borhood had gone to the United States I'M
der contract to work on the Pennsylvania
railroad. They were getting good wages,
he said, and were sending their money home
to him to keep until their return. He said
that every mail brought him 500 or $500,
that way were so well pleased with their
experience in the United States that they
had come back for their families
The commissioner general of immigration
tells of uncovering the padrone system OF
slavery in bootblacking establishments scat
tered through our large cities, operated
usually by Greek lads ranging from ten to
eighteen years Of age. These boys are
brought here with the consent of their
parents by older compatriots, who have
monopolized the business and who work as
long as the agreements with the parents
last paying them barely sufficient to MAIN
tain life During the last four months of
the current year S9S of these boys have ar
rived at the port of Boston alone, of whom
1N were returned to Greece under the con-
tract labor law. They usually come in small
groups, processing a purpose to secure an
education under the care of relatives in this
country
The coal mines furnish field for the en-
ployment of contract labor, as Is well I'M
derstood by those who have had occasion to
study the labor disturbances Of recent years.
inducements of Steamship Companies.
The inducements held out by agents OF
steamship companies and railways are said
to be the cause of the enormous increase
in the arrivals. Most of the steamship
companies have agencies in nearly all the
great centers of population in Europe. ana
their representatives employ canvassers,
who go around among the people. distribut-
ing printed matter, talking about the high
wages, the comforts of living and the other
advantages to be found in the United
States, and receiving cash commissions Cor
every steamship ticket they SELL
There is great deal of colonization Also
which is considered Objectionable, on pollti-
cal grounds. and for social and sanitary
reasons. Foreigners learn and adopt Amer
lean ways much more readily, and are
much more rapidly assfmilated into the
population If they are scattered, than if
they are herded together in colonies. In
this connection Commissioner General Sar-
gent makes some very pertinent SUGGESTIONS
in regard to the advantages of having gov
eminent agents take charge of the diStri-
button of immigrants. instead of permitting
them to go their own ways and settle where
they please There Is no one, at present
at Ellis Island orselsewhere, to give infor-
nation or advice on that subject except the
agents of railway companies, who, in al
most every case, limit their interest to the
sale of tickets, without-regard to the well
fare of the buyernt si1
Better Distributions Of Immigrants.
Mr.. Sargent thinks that if government
agents were authorized to send newly ar
rived aliens to those parts. of the country
where they would be most likely to find
employment, it would prevent large num-
bers of them from herdihg in cities. where
most of them drift at present. The duty
of directing public attention to this sub
ject is imperative. he says because of the
large proportion ofimmigrants who become
criminals, lunatics and inmates of charita-
BILE and reformatory. institutions; whereas
If they were sent out into the country to
fill the unsatisfied demand for agricultural
and other manual labor, they would not
only be benefited but would become va.ua-
BILE citizens. He gives a startling state
ment of the number of aliens now detained
in penal, reformatOry and charitable insti-
buttons in the United States. He finds H.
$50 Irish, 1850 Germans. 4.24S English, 3,2G6
Italians, 3125 Scandfnavians, 1904 Poles
1,94S French 2. 765 Hebrews. 9o3 Scots and
representatives of other races in proper
ton, who were born abroad, at present In
the prisons. insane asylums and the aims
houses of the United States. There are l5.-
800 recent immigrants in our charitable. in
situations, 1874 in our insane asylums ard
9,825 in our prisons, many of whom might
have been made useful citizens If they mad
been sent into the agricultural districts in
stead of being allowed to remain in the
cities. &