The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-02-02
AsroRrAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
THE ARMY OF IMMIGRANTS.

During the fiscal year ending June 80, 1903, there
were 63l. .sS3 immigrants from foreign countries re-
ceived at New York alone. On some single days as
many as $4,000 arrived and were examined at Ellis
island by the immigration bureau, and there was
scarcely any day when from 500 to 2500 did not ar
rive, says the Ledger.
OF this large number, a considerable part was
known to be very undesirable, and much larger
part was suspected to be 50, but our laws are not
vet sufficiently strict to keep them out It is not
possible, where the number arriving is so large, to
examine all so strictly as to make sure that get
in who ought not to be admitted, Many have been
sufficient training to enable them to pass the exam
naton as to their literacy and to evade all the other
tests that the bureau apply The bureau officers
admit that many doubtless get by them who ought to
be kept out but able to suggest plan for amend
ing the laws to make them as effective as they should
be- There seems to be no doubt that thousands, if
not hundreds of thousands are admitted every year
who are quite as Objectionable in every way as the
Chinese
Many of the most ignorant of these people in time
become good citizens, and more would become such
but for their tendency to herd together in great
cities These because of their inability to speak our
language, and because the labor market is already
well supplied become for the time being more or less
helpless. Many if not most of them have little or
no money. Forced to live on insufficient food I'M
close, mclean and noisome rooms they soon becomeI
prey to disease, and propagate disease that aicts
L. Al.
some become criminals, and some even more danger
Gus to the public welfare than ordinary criminasI
are
If some means could be found to induce these peo-
pie, or more of them to seek employment or find oc
cupation outside the cities their case would be less
pitable, and their coming would be less dangerous
But there seems to be no way to do this They lack
the MEANS in many cases, to go very far from their
plase Of landing and if they had them would prob
ably lack confidence to employ themselves even in
the simplest occupations. =
The commissioner of immigration at New York
and others who, like him. have studied this problem
at very short range suggest that something may be
done for protection by statoning medical officers
at these ports from which the greaer number Of hese
undesirable members come who can make some ex-
aminaions as to the health and physical condition.
OF those applying for steerage passage and notify
the ships officers of any who will not be likely to be
admitted. Some educational and other tests might
be applied there. Then the shipping companies
might be held for stircter account they should be
compelled not only to return all who are not adj
mitted free Of charge but to return them every dol
lar they have spent for passage money Since moth
ing better than these suggestions is offered by hose
who know most about the danger we are in it might
be well to try them until something better can be
found But it is evident that something really eff
cient as remedy must be found soon if we would
escape rapidly Increasing danger