The San Francisco call., 1904-08-30
SARGENT PLANS
A QUICKER WAY
Chinese Exempt Classes May
Be Passed Upon at the
Port of Their Departure
CONSUL GOODNOW'S IDEA
Complaint That the Bureau
at San Francisco Is Too
Finical With Immigrants

Information was conveyed yesterday
TO United States Immigrant Commits
sioner Hart H North that Frank z.
Sargent United States Commissioner
General of immigration, recommended
that ali examinations Of Chinese repre-
senting themselves as members of the
exempt classes be investigated in China
prior TO embarkation of the applicants.
These tidings threw the Chinese Bu-
reau into a state bordering upon con-
sternation. North said that the records
of the bureau showed that more than 10
per cent of Chinese claiming to be mer-
chants and holding section six certi-
ficates had been denied a landing be-
cause ii had been ascertained that they
were coolies. CallOus spots as large as
the palm of a mans hand had been
found on the shoulders of the fraudu
lent applicants: their hands were large.
hard and horny; their arms sunburned
TO the elbows, their legs sunburned to
the knees and many Of them had ulcers
on the legs caused by working in the
wet paddy fields. Yet all of these certi-
fcates had been made out in proper
form and had been vised by the Ameri-
can Consul at Canton, China.
GOODNON > IDEAS.
The following letters to Customs Col
lector Stratton show the latest stage
Of sentiment on the Chinese exclusion
act:
SHANGHAI July l; 19o4-My Dear ,aa Mr.. Mr..
courtesy 10 H E. Sheng Nang-hOo and the
portrait Of the Empress D0wager. The Chinese
here are highly pleased Inc word rs very very
man has an easier me getting through the
eye Of the needle than any Chinese has in
getting through the san Francisco custom
house. and the old nan Sheng was scared 70
death with the idea Il what might happen 10
him IN san Franclscc- told MN Jhat every
/ courtesy and consider ration would be shown
him, but nothing would do but that l must
bother you with personal letter
+ The other natiOnalI-ies still taking ad-
vantage OF this scare ana are diverting many
young men who would otherwise 60 70 the
. TO France England and Belgium 1t does
seem 10 me that SOM method or examination
by the immigration bureau could De oevised
( SO that the examination could take place on
4 this side and the exempted classes walk on
the ship al san Francisco as easily as any
T other nationality. j. would only need eN-
{ aminers at Hongkonz. Shanghai and Yoko-
hama. They could md out the bonas hdes OF
an immigrant much better here than in san
Francisco. The Consuls wise could still be
given independently. II We are TO educate the
young men who are now going abroad ana
thus keep our grip cn China We must devise
truly. JOHN GOODNOw.
SARGENT ACQUIESCES.
A letter from Frank P. Sargent. Com
missioner General Of immigration, COM
menting upon the letter quoted, is as
follows:
Ny Dear Mr. stratJon: BY reference the
bureau Is in receipt OF your note OF the 18th
United States Consul General at Shanghai.
China, in which the suggestion is made that
the cases Of Chinese persons applying for ad-
mission 10 the United States as members OF
the exempt classes be investigated in China
prior 70 embarkation OF the applicants
That this is the proper method there is but
little doubt and the writer has recommended
10 the Secretary OF Commerce and Labor that
such plan be inaugurated- To have the mat
ter conducted upon proper lines. however, II
is probable that legislation must first be Sc
cured TO authorize the practice in addition
to the present requirements. Mr.. Goodnow :
letter IS herewith returned. Respectfully.
r P SARGENT. Commissioner General.
Commissioner North declined TO make
any comment upon the foregoing CORE
spondence, but made a few quotations
from the records Of his office. These
show that since January l, 1900. only
thirty-two students have applied fol
admission. OF this number thirty were
admitted. One was denied. He was &
graduate Of Yale University and came
from the Dutch colony Of Batavia
without any papers whatever. The 9th
er had a contagious disease and wa:
rejected by the quarantine branch ol
the service. The last batch of student:
arrived on the steamship Siberia or
August IS and were landed within two
/ hours from the time the vessel arrived
at the dock. During the fiscal yeal
; ended June 80. 1904, the greatest per
{ centage of reflections was Of applicants
claiming to be natives Of the United
States. There were 294 applicants. anC
221 of these were denied landing.