The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1904-12-05
IMMIGRANTS
WERE FEWER
SMALLER NUMBER OF
FOREIGNERS CAME TO U. S.
Commissioner Notes the New Corners
# Were of a Higher Class Than For
merIy and Better Supplied With
Funds-Some Suggestions.

Washington, Dec. S. - immigration
to the United States decreased mater
tally during the last fiscal year, and it
is notable fact that the moral, intel
lectual and physical qualifications Of
the immigrants admitted to this coun-
try during the past year are higher
than ever heretofore have been chroni-
scled, are the principle features OF the
annual report of Frank P. Sargent
commissioner general of immigration
which was made public today.
The report says that during the past
fiscal year 8I2,87o aliens have arrived
in the United States, of which 54o, 100
were males and 263,77o females, an in
crease in the females as compared with
last year. Of 1880 and decrease in the
f1aies OF 64,o46. As respects age Ioo,7
$50 were under Id years, 657,155 were
between ii and 45, and 46,565 were As
or over.
Of the total number Of admitted i'm
migrants 1858 could read but not
write, I68,oo3 could neither read nor
write, and it is presumed the remain
der, 64o,oI4 could both read and write.
1t also appears that Io3,75o of these
aliens had already been to this coun-
try, Io5,575 brought with them $50 or
more each, and 5oI,53o brought each
less than $50.
The total amount of money shown
to officers by these SI2,87o aliens, was
$2o,8o4,383, or $4,776,87o more than
was brought by the 857,o46 arrivals OF
last year. This fact, says the report,
taken in connection with the countries
from which the increases Of the year
under consideration came, furnishes
assurance of marked Improvement in
the character and the inflow of the
more recent immigration.
The 28,45I English immigrants
brought with them in the fiscal year
1903, $I,4o5,365; this year the 4I,47o
of the same race brought $2,736, 1872;
the 35,366 Irish last year had $780,
o82, while the 37,o76 Irish this year
showed $I,oo2,78I; zI,782 German inn
migrants last year had $2,48o,6 ,634, this
year 1890 possessed in hand So
622675.
AT the various seaports OF the Unit
ed States 1904 were excluded during
the year, 4,7o8 being paupers, loo dis
eased; IS conyicts and I,5oI contract
laborers.
Commissioner Sargent recommends
in order to prevent the entry OF dis
eased persons that the physical exafrli-
nation Of aliens, be conducted abroad
at the ports of embarkation by officers
of the United States public health and
marine hospital service.
Concerning the persistence with
which some of the steamship compan-
les bring diseased aliens into the coun-
try, the commissioner says this teat-
ure Of the administration has given
the bureau more concern than any 9TH
er, both because Of its Importance as
affecting the health or even the life
possibly, Of citizens of this country
and because of the apparent deterilii-
nation to bring aliens suffering with
Communicable diseases upon the
chance Of the latter being able to Ell
feet an entrance. That the law IS be-
ing deficd by some Of the companies. IS
plain. from the fact that 1000 alien
passengers thus afflicted were denied
admission during the year. 1t IS but
just to say that some Of these cases
did not reach the perceptiblc develop
ment until after eriibarkatiOn, but N
most instances the agents of the com
panies with amazing pertinacity ig-
|nored the law, as shown by the TACT
that during the year there have been
imposed upon them penalties under
section 8 Of the act Of March 5, 1908
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