Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-12-13

dilenS now excluded from admission
to the United States all children UNI
der II years of age unaccompanied by
their parents, unless coming to join
parents already residents in this coun-
try who are able to support them. The
-retary also urges the necessity of
Ncating at foreign ports of embarka-
ton. medical and immigrant inspect
ors and means of preventing the de,
parture for the United States of those
who are excluded by law.
The number of aliens who applied
for admission during the year, ,O26,-
499--is in excess by 237,507 of the
number reported for 1882, the arrivals
during which year were in excess of
those during any year prior to 1908,
and 2l3 ,629 in excess of the arrivals
in 1904. With respect to the sources
from which these immigrants are de-
rived, it is interesting to note that,
compared with the corresponding fig
ures for the last year, the quota from
Russia increased by 1886: from
Italy 28,1S3. and from the united
kingdom 1854 This and much other
Information of practical value upon
the subject of alien immigration is
shown in the annual report of the
commissioner-general of immigration,
to which attention is directed
The important feature is that more
than million aliens have been added
to cur population in the course If
twelve months, fact that suggests
the necessity of considering whether
some adequate measure should not be
adopted SO to limit the number of ar
rivals as to lessen the obvious dan
gers from cur alien population in
creasing more rapidly that it can be
assimilated. Various suggestions
have been made with this end in view,
but there is none which promises so
effectively to control the actual num-
Der of arrivals as the suggestion
that the number brought on any YES
sci should be limited so as to bear a
fixed ratio to the tonnage of such yes
sci Such a plan would furthermore
have the additional advantage that it
would remove the temptation to bring
aliens of whose admissibility there
could be any question, as well as
avoid the unsanitary conditions re-
sulting from oyercrowding in the
steerage.
OF the total arrivals 175,624 resided
in the United States before. thus indi-
eating net increase in our popula-
ton of about S50,0QG a number which
is further reduced by the 11,4SO per
sons. rejected during the year.
The total shipping of the United
States on June 80, 1905, consisted
of 246S1 vessels, aggregating 6,456,
543 gross tons, the largest tonnage
in our history. The total increase
during the year, 165,00S tons, is less
than the annual increase for any year
since 1899, and the tonnage built
330,316 tons, is only about IS pei
cent. of the average annual construc
ton since 1900 The prospect for the
current year is encouraging. Or
July ! nearly 100000 tons of stee
vessels were under contract or con
struotioh, while on the corresponding
date last year less than 100000 tons
were building or had been ordered
The first quarters output is double
that for the first quarter last year
Only 100000 gross tons of stee
merchant shipping We're on British
ways on June 80 last
The most satisfactory phase of tht
years returns is the increase in ton
mage for the foreign trade from S9S,
76S tons on June 80, 1904. to 954,51;
gross tons on the same date thi
year. On this increase is based tn,
increase of foreign trade carried il
American bottoms from 11.3 per cent
in 1904 to 12.l per cent. in 1905, tn,
largest percentage since 1894.
The attention of congress is invited
to the small percentage of our eX
ports and imports carried on Ameri
can bottoms, as also to the proper
tionately small share of the passen
ger traffic on the Atlantic carried OF
D.
tors of customs at principal seaport
report that during the past fsca
year 420 ocean steamers, mainly o
the highest power, greatest dimen
sions, and most modern construction
were engaged in the transportation
of passengers to the United State
under the passenger act of 1882
These vessels carry steerage passen
gers and are of the types which mari
time powers reply upon in case o
war as auxiliaries to their navies. o
this number only 80 carry the Ameri
can flag. That number, it shoull
| be recalled, comprises nearly all tn
vessels of the United States available
IS a second line of defense. willie al
the foreign nations referred to hav
! passenger steamship lines running t.
other countries, ard are further aue
menting their maritime strength, ma
val as we'll as commercial. Only
| out of 215 transatlantic passenge
steamers carry the colors of the Unit
: ed States. On the Pacific coast, du
| to our expansion in the east tn
disproportion is not so great. Twer
tv-four out of 40 passenger steamer
to the orient were American. and TIL
majority of these are better in mos
respects than their foreign compet
! itors.
The foreign commerce of the Unit
ed States in 1505 exceeded, both il
/ iY,nortc aud oxrortS +ha+ rf ar1- nv