Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-08
IMPROVEMENT NOTICED
LAST YEARS IMMIGRANTS OF
UNUSUALLY HIGH CLASSES.
Commissioner General Sargent Will
Again Recommend Buildings to Dis
play Attractions of the States.

In the forthcoming annual report OF the
commissioner general of immigration two
important features will be made pubic.
First the report is expected to show that
there has been decrease in the immlSra-
ton 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 education and other desir-
able attainments possessed by the immi-
grants was about as low as could be le-
gally passed by the immigration officials.
The newcomers to the country consisted
largely of Poles, Austro-Hungarians and
Italians, and the majority of them re-
manned in the large cities of the country
rather than, do the Swedes, Norwegians
and English, immgrate to the less th:ckly
settled portions of the land and there make
their new homes.
Two Glasses of Immigrants.
At the same time 1t was noted that these
immigrants were mostly extremely illiterate
and disnclined to adopt the habits of the
native American. Many of them came from
countries where they had been prosecuted
by the public officials, and had, therefore,
a hatred for the police, considering them
their natural enemies. This enmity it was
found difficult to eradicate, and the conse-
quence was that a very undesirable class
of immigrants was thrust upon the great
cities, which were forced to accept them.
, The class coming during the year ended
June 80, 1904, was of much higher order,
being composed of many English, Germans,
Swedes Norwegians and kindred nation
alities. 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 adopt ones ac-
cording to the circumstances by which they
find themselves surrounded in their new en-
vironment
Information for Settlers.
What has been considered by Commission
er General Sargent the most important
point in his annual reports is the recon-
mendation to Congress for legislation for
the erection Of certain buildings at Ellis
Island, New York, and at perhaps one or
two other immigration stations for the use
of the several states in disseminating in
formation regarding their attractions for
settlers. This recommendation has been
repeatedly made by every commissioner
general since it was introduced to the atten-
ton of Congress by Herman Stump in the
administration of President Cleveland. 1t
was repeated by Powderly and reiterated by
Sargent. Nothing has been done by Con-
gress with the recommendation, and 1t is
believed at the bureau of immigration that
the question of distribution of the immi-
grants landing on our shores during 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 government, filling them
with all manner of information concerning
the territory covered by each common
wealth, having officials in charge, maps,
scales of wages lands for sale or open to
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
infiuxes of immigration, and are waiting
for just such opportunity to invite the
right class of people to come to them and
make their homes. Particularly is this SO of
the south, the sluggishness of the develop
ment of the natural resources of that great
being entirely due to a lack of
proper labor for the work. With these
things in mind the commissioner general
will again this year repeat his recommends
ton to Congress for the necessary legisla-