Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-01
FOR AID OF ALIENS.
Big Terminals to be Put in at
New York for Use of
Foreigners.
COST OF PROJECT $1,000, 1000
Five Large Railway Companies Will
Each Erect Building Near
Ellis island.

use of the thousands of weary imRli-
grants let through the bars at Ellis is
land every day, are to be built by the
five big railway companies and their
dependent systems doing business with
the government, says the New York
Tribune. This announcement was made
few days ago after a series of pro
tracted conferences between the repre-
sentatives of the railroads and the
new commissioner of immigration. Rob
ert Watchorn. The erection of such
structures will mark Il humane reform
in the handling of the immigrant that
will. it is hoped, protect the ignorant for
eiGner from the swarm of thieves and
confidence men that prey on the unsus-
pecting newcomer now. 1t is in line
with the aightforward policy of
Commissioner Watchorn. who the mo-
ment he got on the island determined
that. there should be some humane re-
forms made for the benefit of the i'm
migrant.
The erection of an immigrant termi-
nal was one of the reforms planned to
be executed as soon as possible. Mean
directly affecting the treatment and in
spection of the immigrants on the Is
land, We're made, in all of which the
commissioner was supported by Com
missioner General Sargent and through
him by the president himself, who has
applied the square DEAF rule to the
men, women and children who flock to
these shores from every corner Of the
globe
Had Another Plan.
AT first the commissioner had Intend
ed to build terminal Oh the south
eastern end of Ellis island, with tracks
en- trestlework connecting directly with
the main systems of all the roads going
out of Jersey City. The plan was APP
proved by the government and would
have been executed, but for the inter
vention of the big roads concerned.
which placed before Commissioner
Watchorn n protest against a general
terminal on Ellis island.
Commissioner Watchorn's idea in
having a terminal at his right hand,
as it were, was to have in the palms
of his two hands the care and respon-
sibility Of the immigrant from the mo-
ment he passed the inspectors until he
landed among his friends. \ terminal
on the island would have given him
this complete grasp and responsibility.
but the roads having q fixed agree
ment with the government to carry
immigrants from New York to their
destination offered Il reasonable COM
promise, the erection of separate i'm
migrant terminals by each road carry
ing immigrants.
1.-THE representatives presented rea
Sonable objections to n general termi-
nal" Commissioner Watchorn told q
reporter, land agreed to erect terminal
stations for the exclusive use of the
immigrant. That's just what we want
ed. If they do tffs-and they have Civ
en- me their word that they will-the
hands of the land shark and reach
their destination with sound bodies
and purses
Under the present system complaints
reach the commissioners office of the
long delay of immigrants in reaching
their destination. Not infrequentIy the
aliens fall into the hands
of thieves and confidence men after
they leave the island or are forced to
stay in. lodging houses haunted by the |
lowest criminals because of the f0w
ness of immigrant trains. Several hui |
name reforms have already been made, |
but Commissioner Watchorn will not |
be satisfied until the immigration au-
thorities at New York have full control |
of the situation from the moment the |
is turned over to the trans |
porting road until he reaches his des- |
tination-
Plans Ready.
The Immigrant terminals are to be
erected at once. and some of the roads
structures. They will cost collectively
more than $1.O00,O0o. The roads doing
the largest business with the govern
ment are the Pennsylvania. the New |
York Central the Lackawanua, the
New Jersey Central and the Baltimore
md Ohio. The Pennsylvania and the
systems connecting with its main line
get the bulk of immigrants. because
July 40 per cent of the immigrants set
lie in western towns or cities. The
carries that portion which,
Dy natural trend, settles IN coal mining
owns The Baltimore and Ohio. with
is branch systems through the hard
,oal territory, carries thousands into
hat region. and for all of the roads in
crested the carrying of the immigrant
s profitable business.
The Baltimore and Ohio the Lacka-
wanna and the New Jersey Central will
build their terminals on the Jersey side
If the bay. The Pennsylvania CON-
,any has revised the plans for its big
criminal ON the upper west side OF
Manhattan to allow a large space for
separate immigrant station connect
ng directly with tracks over which
My the immigrant trains will run out.
There are to be several more trains put
IN and a change of schedule made by
I'll the roads when the new terminals
ire constructed. Some of the roads
rope to have their terminals built and
n operation IN the fall. Each Of the,