The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-30

manent affair, bearing such relation TO
postal convention bears to the postal bust
ness CT this and other countries. Its OBJ
80. emf emf 'cmfec mhtme cemtec meces
ject would be TO bring about better un-
derstanding on the part of every country
Of the condition sattending the question
in all and to effect cooperation between
the countries in the enforcing of the EN-
igrant laws of each.
All this would, to some extent. and
perhaps materially, solve the problem Of
what we are to do WITH our immigrants,
as it would send us a class Of people in
which the diseased, pauper and criminal
classes weuld be less conspicuous For
this reason the menace of the great vol
ume of legislation would be much de-
creased. 1t would not, however, do away
with the evils caused by the thronging
Of immigrants to the tenement sections
Of the great. cities, where they are not
needed, rather than to the fields, farms,
plantations and mills Of the south and
southwest, where they are badly needed.
This is the greatest problem of them
all. 1t is one in which other nations
cannot aid. 1t is one that is purely in
terror and must be settled BY ourselves.
The fact that there are 100000 foreign
born inmates of penal, reformatory and
charitable institutions in this country
is simply an incident pointing out the
danger of continued huddling of aliens
in city tenements.
On this subject, Commissioner Sar-
gent, in his last annual report pointed
out the dangers of this thronging TO the
cities, and strenuously urged action of
some sort to distribute the annual inn
portation of aliens. to sections where as
simiiation would be more rapid and com
plete. The commissioner said on this
question:
The Importance of undertaking to dis
tribute aliens now congregating in our
large cities to those parts of the United
Ststes where they can secure employment
without ddsplacing othess by working for
| less wage, and where the conditions of
existence do not tend to the fostering of
disease, depravity, and resistance to the
social and political security of the coun-
try, is urged. The bureau is not unmind-
| full Of the obstacles presented to the for
nation of feasible plan for this pl1r-
1 pose. hnt it submits that the matter Is
| one of such Importance as to demand the
attention of the government, both general
aud local. 1t is impossible to believe that
a practical device can be found, if not
| through the action of the Federal Gov
of the State and civic authorities. 1t has
| been pointed out that. so far as the
| oyercrowding in city tenements is con-
cerned. municipal ordinances in our large
cities preschribing the amount of space
which rapacious landlords should, under
penalties sufficiently heavy to enfore e
obedience, be required to give each ten
ant, would 90 far toward attaining the
object in view.
Whether such plan could be brought
into existence through the eforss Of our
| general govs rnment, or whether under
any of its constitutional powers, express
or implied. the Congress should Itself leg
islate directly, upon sanitary or moral
grounds, against the notorious practice
| Of housing aliens with less regard for
health and comfort than is shown in plac-
! ing brute animals in pens, the bureau is
unprepared to say, even if an expression
| if its views on the subject were nec-
/ SSSSstll. ~ 49, nONSftI. cOENl NluCeu InaC
no feature of the immigration question
80 nsistently demands public attea ton
and effective cation
The evil to be removed is one that is
steadily and rapidly on the Increase, and
its removal will strike at the roots of
fraudulent elections, poverty. risease and
crime in our large cities. and, on the
other hand. largely supply that iacreas-
| ing demand for labor to develop the nat
ural resources of our country.
"As afford'ng reasonable as surance of
check upon the continued growth of
! this evil too much encouragement can
not be given to the reported efforts of
certain railway companies to divert a
portion of the tide of immigration to the
Southern states"
This is the real menacesof great i'm
migration. 1t is the problem not only
fof the cities. but of the %hele country.
In it are included all the problems Of
pauperism. most of these Of criminality.
| most of those bearing l4pon the abuse of