The San Francisco call., 1904-09-25
ALTON
IMPROVEMENT
Notable Decrease in Numbers
but Quality Much Better
Than for Many Years Past
HIGH TIDE LAST YEAR
Commissioner Sargent Again
Recommends Buildings for
the Display of Attractions

In the forthcoming annual report of
the Commissioner GeneralN of Immi-
grafton two important features will be
made public. First, the report is ex-
pected to show that there has been
decrease in the immigration to the
United States In the past fiscal year.
Second, it will positively be shown
that the immigration has been of
much higher class of people than was
the case in the last and preceding
years.
Year before last, when the high tide
Of immigration to the United States
was reached, nearly one million aliens
reaching these shores during those
twelve months, the average of educa-
ton and other desirable attainments
possessed by the immigrants was about
as low as could be legally passed by
the immigration officials. The new
corners to the country consisted large
ly of Poles, Austro- -Hungarians and
Italians and the majority of them re-
NAMED in the large cities of the coun-
try rather than, as do the Swedes,
Norwegians and English, immigrate to
the less thickly settled portions of the
land and there make their new homes.
TWO CLASSES OF INIMIGRANTS.
At the same time it was noted that
these immigrants were mostly ex-
tremely illiterate and disinclined to
adopt the habits of the native Amer
ican. Many of them came from coun-
tries where they had been prosecuted
by the public officials and had there
fore a hatred for the police, consider
ing them their natural enemies. This
enmity it was found difficult to eradi-
cate and the consequence was that
very undesirable class of immigrants
which were forced to accept them.
The class coming during the year
ended June 80, 1904, was of a much
higher order, being composed Of many
English, Germans, Swedes Nor
wegians and kindred nationalities. AS
a rule these people desire to migrate
to the West there taking up land
when they can and settling down to
an agricultural life. They are held to
be very much more desirable than the
classes which remain in the cities and
there take up the trades which they
may have practiced in their former
homes or adopt new ones, according
to the circumstances by which they
find themselves surrounded in their
new environment.
INFORMATION FOR SETTLERS.
What has been considered by Com
missioner General Sargent the most i'm
portant point in his annual reports is
the recommendation to Congress for
legislation for the erection of certain
buildings at Ellis Island, New York,
! and at perhaps one or two other immi-
grafton stations for the use of the sew
eral States in disseminating informa-
tion regarding their attractions for set
tiers. This recommendation has been
repeatedly made by every Commission
er General since il was introduced to
ha aff of IONS hxy HaTr
Stump in the administration of Presi-
dent Cleveland. 1t was repeated by
Powderly and reiterated by Sargent.
Nothing has been done by Congress
with the recommendation, and it is be-
lieved at the Bureau Of immigration
that the question of distribution of the
immigrants landing on our shores dur
ing each year will not be satisfactorily
settled until proper action has been
taken along the lines suggested.
The plan is to invite the several
States to make use of the buildings
that may be erected by the Govern
ment, filling them with all manner of
information concerning the territory
covered by each commonwealth, having
officials in charge, maps, scales of
wages, lands for sale or open to settle
ment and any other features that may
be calculated to induce the immigrant
to go into the country and there begin
his career as an American by adoption.
Many of the States are desirous of
large inf1uxes of immigration and are
waiting for just such an opportunity to
invite the right class Of people to come
to them and make. their homes. Par
ticularly is this so of the South, the
sluggishness of the development of the
natural resources Of that great terri
tory being entirely due to lack of
proper labor for the work. With these
things in mind the Commissioner Gen
eral will again this year repeat his
recommendation to Congress for the
necessary legislation that will accom-
plish this end and effect a reform in
the immigrant after he lands at Ellis
Island.