Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01

and some single steamers carry a. thousand
or more at a time. This means receiving
from $4,000 to $4,000 from that source for
single voyage Every steamship company
has its agents scattered throughout Europe
drumming up such custom. School teachers
and local preachers may receive small
per cent of the passage money for each
person they induce to go abroad, and there
are also runners in eastern and southern
Europe who go from city to city and from
village to village for this purpose. They tell
fairy tales about the prosperity of the many
immigrants now in America and of the OPP
portunities we offer to aliens. 1t Is by such
means that paupers and diseased persons
are induced to make the journey, only to
find that they are shipped back upon land
ing:
characters" the commissioner general con-
tinued, that is largely prevented now by
our law We make each steamer pay 500
fine for every person brought to our shores
who does not correspond with the regula-
lions Of admission, and at the same time
we force the companies to carry persons
back free of charge. The result is a steam
ship company will sometimes refuse to take
an immigrant without he deposits 500 with
1t to cover the danger of this fine"
Our Pauper Immigrants.
But do we not admit many paupers into
the country"
I'VE try to prevent It," caid Mr.. Sargent.
"And we do send many such back to Eu-
rope. Last year just dpOut OWN WcIc "
fused admission and more than 1900 were
kept out because they had contagious dis
eases AS ii is now a large proportion or
the inmates of our penal and charitable
institutions are foreigners. We have more
than 1900 aliens in such places, and OF
these about 10000 are over twenty-one
years old. The most Of them came In
through New York. although they are scat
tered all over the country. AS 1t Is now
more than % per cent Of all the members
Of such institutions are OF foreign pirtn
and more than IL per cent have never been
naturalized."
Are the Russian troubles affecting our
immigration"
'FYes. We have had big increase from
that part Of the world, and If the troubles
continue we will have more. We got 145, 600
from Russia and Finland in 1904 and about
1851 600 last year, showing an increase Of
just about 10000. The increase in our NUM-
bles in Russia. We got 10000 of them last
year."
Chinese Cheap Labor.
How about the Chinese. Mr.. Sargentf
Are not they unjustly kept out?'
II think not. They admitted accorde
ing to law and the laws are fairly enforceds
Both our government and that of the em4
pire of China want to keep these laborera
out of the United States. Nevertheless. the
conditions are such that it is difficult to do
SO. 1t costs us more to guard this class
of improper immigrants than almost any
other The Chinese who wishes to come
here is usually able to command the best
legal advice to help him. ne can secure
witnesses to testify to anything and can
tempt smugglers by the payment of large
sums Of money. He is backed by organiza-
tons which are ready to help MIN 10 al
most any extent and 1t is difficult to keep
him out 1t is not true that the Chinese
have been insulted by our immigration
officers, and it is not true that We treat
them unfairly in any way. We merely
carry out the law" -
How many Chinese came in last Year,
LESS than 1900, and we sent back 3S%.
under the Chinese exclusion act.
What kind of Chinese can come into the
United States?" q
1.-The treaty provides for the admission or
merchants, teachers. students and Travellers
, and the courts have said that the wives and
| children of merchants may also be admit
| ted. We had more than 600 Chinese who
asked admission as merchants last year and
about $50 were admitted"
FRANK G. CARPENTER.