The San Francisco call., 1904-02-24
HEAD TAX IN TRANSIT.

pose head tax upon all aliens entering the United
States for transit through the country This bill
said be the work of the Federal Commissioner OF
Immigration. If it become law. all people from other
countries entering the United States tour or for
transit from one port another, will be sub
jected to head tax Professor Bryce coming here to
study our institutions would be compelled pay it. So
also would Admiral Beresford of the British he
came again visit commercial bodies. and all OF
the foreign visitors to the ST. Louis Exposition would be
mulct alike.
We are not aware that any other country has such
regulation Europe seeks to encourage rather than re-
pei annual influx of American visitors Only Rus
sa puts difficulties in the way of foreign travellers and
surely we have no desire initiate her policy OF exclu
sveness and isolation
Just why the enactment of such law is sought has
not been plain Granting the right OF this country
to restrict undesirable immigration by imposing mead
tax on those who enjoy institutions and op-
portunties permanent settlers and intended czens
this new way responds to that proper pol
ICY AS revenue it is not needed, as we are
not in necessity for the money. In large we" this
country cannot afford up policy OF ISOLATION that
will exclude the class of alien travellers that Will be
turned away by such law. We want them to come, to
use our facilities for and transit to compare our
methods of transportation with those of the countries
from which they come and have free to every
part of our country for the purposes of pleasure and
observation.
1t NAV be said that the amount of the head tax i'm
posed will deter that class OF people But the
amount exactcd figure in the matter at all The
sentiment counts with the class of people who will avoid
US if the law pass. We boast justly, of having created
great country with institutions which the admiration
of the world with productive and industrial energies
that have given the prmacy OF the worlds commerce
and it will be petty policy to charge an adssion Zee
TO those who to and look upon what we have
done TO return to their own country and tell OF the
he to Clde
all such people who will resent the regulation as an IN
dignity and we will be put in the class Russia
and Tibet 1t is strange that any should propose
regulation that is but modification of the ISOLATION SC
long maintained by China, Japan and Korea, which VIC
have aided in breaking down in those countries, bene
! fciay to them and the world.
All American shipping and transportation interests
should protest against it. We the highway
around the world Our Atlantic and Pacific liners carry
great numbers of rstcass passengers who seek ENJOY
ment OF our facilities for travel and observation Ihe,
contribute only important but necessary part
the income which keeps these American enterprises go
ing In respect of the facilities which they furnish W.
have active and able rivals the Canadian railways anC
steamship lines on both oceans These compete severe
now for such business and get considerable share OF
This competition made sharper every year by the pos
sibity of combined rail and rates permitted o
the Canadian bHes but not in practice on the American
lines.
NiiN " ~
efforts to compete The rst-class transit business vii
be diverted the lines of Canada and blow will hav
been struck at American shipping and transportation in
terests 1t is bad time make such issue. We ar
reaching for other markets and more foreign trad
We have annual surplus of the products OF agrcutnr
and manufactures We being jeaously watched b
our rivals in both They ready to seize fac
and to appeal any prejudice that put us at dis
advantage Nothing be devised that will bette
serve the purpose of commercial rivals than this pre-
posed law 1t can be used all over Europe as an argr
ment against u.s. and appeal to prejudice that
well countervai all of the advantages now have
: resources and production.
! Until some reasons furnished for such remarl
able and injurious proposition, all do is to tax
it for what appears to be upon ITS face and resist
enactment into law. When the reasons for it gve
1 thev will be subject impartial examination, but
present it believed that theoretical benefits of
set the practical disadvantages which apparent.