The Washington herald., 1907-01-07
Sargent in Report Suggests
international Conference.
ALLEGES JAP IMPORTATION
Commissioner General Declares They
Enter Country Under CunningIy
Devised Scheme-PhysicaI and
Mental Quality of Aliens Much
Below that of Former Years.


mends that an international conference be
held on the subjects of immigration and
emigration.
He urges that an effort be made TO In
duce all interested countries to send dele
gates 10 such convention, with the object
of arranging a plan OF cooperation
whereby the immigration laws of the
United States may be more effectively adj
ministered, and the hardship and suffer-
ing Of subjects Of other countries who ship
to American ports, only to find that they
cannot enter. and must return to their
former homes. may be overcome
With a view to the better regulation Of
the heavy tide Of immigration now flow
ing toward the United States, the Com
missioner General recommends:
That legislation be adopted to check
violations Of the immigration laws by
tprofessed seamen, penalizing shipmasters
forsigning other than bona fide seamen on
their crew lists; requiring them to notify
Immigration officers Of the arrival Of YES
sells with aliens in the crew. and to pre-
vent the escape 10 the United States OF
any member Of such crew declared by
the immigration officers to be inadmis-
sible
That marine hospital surgeons be sta
toned at the principal foreign ports Of
embarkation to examine all aliens apply
ing for passage to the United States.
Inducements TO Settlers.
That a measure be adopted under which
the various sections Of the country that
need foreign settlers may be enabled TO
place before the immigrants arriving at
the principal ports. particularly at Ellis
Island. statement and Illustrations re-
Earding the Inducements offered settlers
by such sections.
That the Presidents suggestion for the
closing of the Mexican border 20 all
aliens, except citizens Of Mexico. be
adopted.
That the buildings now used as an i'm
migration station at Ellis Island New
York. be rem0deled throughout
That further legislation be enacted TO
strengthen The hands Of the government
in such manner as 70 make it possible
to more effectively punish individuals and
corporations that induce aliens TO come
20 this country under promise or assur-
anCe Of employment
that all Chinese now I'm the United States
be registered. under complete and de
tailed plan, irrespective Of whether they
registered under the acts Of 1892 and 1888.
that all restrictions on the departure and
return Of registered Chinese labOrers be
removed, SO that such persons may leave
and re-enter the United States merely
upon their establishing their identity.
that the provisions Of law regarding
/ Chinese seamen Doe SO amended a s 10 at
tach "a definitely fixed, severe penalty. TO
the permitting the landing Of such sea
men. irrespective Of whether the officers
of a vessel connived al the landing. "a
more severe penalty being provided in
case of connivance upon their part
Japs Are Being Imported.
Evidence is in the hands of the immi-
grafton authorities showing that some
individual OF corporation is engaged in
importing japanese laborers 10 work on
the railroads of the Northwest. The mat
ter is now under Investigation
The commissioner general says.
"The plan is cuunugIy devised. and. So
far, successfully carried out The Japl-
nese government Will issue passports To
only d limited number Of its citizens
destined TO mainland ports Of the United
States, but it is less difficult for such
citizens 90 secure passports If going 10
the Hawaiian Islands. Numbers of Japa-
nese go 10 Hawaii, destined 20 hotels
kept by labor agents, and claim. under
examination 10y immigrant inspectors. that
they are merely seekers for such labor as
can be secured i'm the islands. that they
have made no advance arrangements for
employment either in the islands or on
/ the mainland, and that they are not i'm
any sense contract laborers
I After such aliens are admitted they
/ remain a few days or weeks in Hawaii
/ and then ship for Northwestern ports.
/ Having already been admitted to the
United States their voyage thence is
/ 'coastwise,' and they cannot be examined
upon arrival az the mainland port under
the alien contract or any other provision
of the immigration laws"
/ The opinion IS expressed by the COM
missioner general that several thousand
Japanese were brought 20 the United
States during the past year in violation
Of the contract labor laws.
More Southern EurOpennS
The report shows that the tendency Of
immigration during the past few years is
20 gather it's steady Increase principally
from the countries Of Southern and East
ern Europe. On this point Mr. Sargent
says: Without exception, the countries
from which we formerly obtained the
greater part Of our foreign population. and
which are inhabited by races nearly akin
to our own, have supplied us with smaller
numbers during the past year than dur
ing 1905-Ireland, 1850; England. 152lE:
/ Sweden. 32S1: Germany. 300. Denmark
1.229. and Scotland, lii less. On the
other hand the four most considerable
gains are: Italy. 516H; Russia. 3076S:
Greece. S.94. and Turkey. 5.1C5''
/ An encouraging feature Of the years i'm
migration is the fact that while 913.955 Of
the admitted aliens ranged in ages from
/ fourteen TO foTty-four. and 135.g73 were
+ less than fourteen years Of age. only 81. 0.5O7
had reached or passed the prime age of
/ forty-five.
/ As 60 the financial condition of those
admitted, 69S,4m had less than $50 each i'm
/ their possession. while 1859 possessed
more than that amount each. "The man Of
! mercenary mind who regards the accumu-
latiOn OF wealth by an individual or ma
I ton as the thing most 20 be desired.
comments the commissioner general
win note with satisfaction the total
+ IamoUnt of money shown by the aliens ad-
mitted 10 the country during the year.
/ So 10g. 4I3''
Lower Physically and Mentally.
Statistics are presented showing that the
physical and mental quality of the aliens
now arriving in this country is much be
low that Of those who have come in
/ former years 1t is of the utmost i'm
1 portance TO the future welfare of this
country the report continues, that the
standard in these respects should be
raised 70 and kept at a high point Per