The Washington herald., 1907-09-15
BAD COME WITH GOOD
Commissioner Sargent Tells
of Immigrant Tide.
DIFFERS WITH JUDGE BURNETT
Head of Bureau Says That Undeslr-
able Aliens Do Not Come wholly
from Any One COuntry-ImpOssfbIe
to Divert Influx from Great Cities.
Report WIZ Be Ready soon.

Commissioner or Immigration FRANK L.
Sargent does not agree with the state
ment made by John l.. Burnett, Of Ala
bama, a member of the Congressional
immigration Commission, that undesira-
hle immigrants come from particular To-
calities. Judge Burnett having specified
Italy. Sicily, and Asia Minor.
Commissioner Sargents report for the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1907, is about
ready TO be made public, and it will show
that the total number OF aliens admitted
during that period was something more
than !. 600. in the neighborhood OF 2O0.0J
more than the preceding year.
Concerning Judge Burnett's statement
Commissioner Sargent said yesterday:
u DO not believe It true that undesirable
Immigrants come wholly from any one
country. We do not want people from
other countries who are criminals. Any
one will grant that Neither do we want
peopIe tlrat. because OF any political be
lief. believe in letting as much blood as
they can. and we do not want people who
are shIftless or diseased and who have no
ambition 70 become good citizens. But
these classes do not come from any par
ucular society. and Il IS because we must
have labor that we are compelled 70 put
I'D with a certain per cent Of bad timber
Reflected I'm Europe.
Industrial prosperity in this country IS
directly reflected in Europe. and there
has been an immense amount Of labor
needed in the United States. We do not
produce the class needed to build great
railroads and TO carry on great municipal
improvements. such as are being carried
on in New York. for instance. We have
20 have labor, and II we must take italian
labor. we cannot very well now exclude
all the Hunchaklsts and Black Hand peo-
ole that come IN with the labor Not
every italian is q Black Hand, any more
than every Armenian IS a Hunchakist.
but we must have laws that viii exclude
such persons from the United States
Italians, Sic.lians, and all others who
are honest: who want 10 own homes OF
their own and till the soil, give their
children that which they had not an edu-
cation. and who wish 10 become good ciu-
zens. should be given every opportunity 10
come into the country. no matter what
their race may be, but the others should
be excluded
In reply TO a question as 70 the direc-
tiOn OF the tide Of immigration. Mr. Sar-
gent replied that il Is impossible TO d.
vert the growing influx into such place
as New York IN day or "a year.
Immigrants VIII Scatter.
New York and the large cities are bet
ter known abroad than any other l0cali-
ties" he said When family from
certain locality in Europe settles in North
Carolina or Texas. and becomes salts
hed, they write 10 the people back home,
and eventually that part OF the State be-
comes colOniZed with people Of the same
race and from the same common home 10
Europe. Gradually. the tide is turning
to the South and Southwest and the
Northwest
During the past year. according 70 the
reports we have had, the immigration
into New Orleans and Galveston grew
very much. During the year, the great
est number Of aliens came from Italy
Austria Hungary, and Russia Those
who went 70 Galveston were mostly Rus
sian Jews and this is an Indication that
the agricultural fields are Offering more
Inducements 10 such people. All through
the South the number OF foreign settlers
is growing as il becomes known in EU-
rope that those parts OF this country Of
fer good fields fOr bona fide settlers.
1T is only q question Of time until for
eigncrs find out they can do better IN
smaller places than in the big cities, but
it is going 10 require a great many years
for that fact 20 become general knOwi-
edge throughout Europe
IF we have continued prosperity in this
country, immigration will continue 10 In
crease. but just the minute there is a
let-up III the progression Of industrial af-
fairs, as is predicted in some quarters.
the tide OF immigration viii shrink. This
has been the history Of immigration, and
it is true for the reason, Of course, that
it is the fact that the United States pays
higher wages than any country on earth
that brings them here"
Concerning the work Of the Congress
s!onal immigration Commission, Commis-
siouer Sargent expressed himself as an
ticipating a great many good reconmen-
dations to Congress, but he is not specu-
lating as 70 the possibility Of the lines
along which the immigration laws may be
changed.
The official report Of the Bureau Of In
migration viii probably be made public
within the next fortnight.