The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-18
TO MAKE A STUDY
OF EMIGRATION
Congressional Committee Sail
ed Today on Steamer Can
opic For Naples.

Boston. Mass. May 1S.-Among the
passengers on the steamer Canopic
sailing for Naples today were several
members Of the immigration commits
sion appointed by President Roose-
welt, Vice President Fairbanks and
Speaker Cannon to investigate all the
phases of the problem of immigra-
ton. The party consists of Senator
Dillingham; of Vermont, chairman of
the commission; Senator Latimer of
South Carolina; Representative Ben
net of New York, Howell of New Jer-
sey, Burnett of Alabama and Mr..
Wheeler of California. The commits
sioners are accompanied by clerks
and stenographers, the entire party
numbering about twenty persons.
The commissioners will remain
abroad about three months, during
WHICH time they will get in commune
cation with all diplomatic and con-
sular agencies of the United States
in all those countries from which
settlers come to the United States.
The most important posts of embark
alton of emigrants will be visited. It
is the intention of the commission to
go more thoroughly into the subject
than it has ever been gone into be-
fore and to obtain, SO far as may be
possible. all facts at first hand.
They will begin their labors in
Italy, and when they get through they
will probably know the character at
home of Italians who come to Amer
lea, the methods by which they are
gathered up and sent here, and es-
pecially will they undertake to find
out whether any of these emigrants
are selected for expectation because
of their undesirable character at
home.
From Italy as the season progress
es. and as the warm summer months
make labor in the warm countries
undesirable, the commissioners will
proceed to Russia and find out about
the emigrants from that section of
the world. They will go through
Germany. perhaps through Norway
and Sweden. through France, and, in
fact, will touch all of those impor-
tant points from which emigrants
come to the United States. With the
assistance of a large body of diplo.
matte and consular agents it is ex-
pectef that the commission will get
at essential facts concerning the char
acter of the people who leave their
homes for the new world. They will
personally visit the homes of these
people, will see them at the ports at
which. they embark and will learn all
about the influences that cause them
to leave their homes.
The work of the commission will
be only fairly begun, when it's men,
bers return to America. Then will
come extensive and interesting in
quiries concerning what becomes of
the emigrants after they reach the
United States. The commission will
seek records from all public institu-
tdons to ascertain what proportion of
the inmates is foreign or of foreign
parentage, in order to In some meas
ure ascertain how 1t measures up in
general citizenship with the native
Americans and Americans OF native
parentage.
The commission will report it's find
ings and Recommendations to con-
gress, and they will be used as a
basis for legislation on the question.
1t is regarded as likely that out of
the work OF the commission will grow
an international conference to deal
with the whole general subject. The
law creating the commission author
ICES the president to issue call for
such conference II he should deem
such action to be desirable.