New-York tribune., 1908-04-07
WAY TO STOP ANARCHY.
Mss Kellor to Urge albany Bill for
Immigrant Com mission.

To advocate the OF the immigrant in the
matter of helping him to become good citizen.
Miss Frances A kellor, director OF the research
department OF the Woman's Municipal League. of
No 19 East 26th street, will speak before the Com
mittee Finance of the State Senate at Albany
to-day in favor of the bill introduced by Senator
Page, providing for the appointment by Governor
Hughes of a commission to investigate the subject
of immigration in this state. Such commission
would be empowered o summon witnesses and
anime them well to accept documentary evil
dence, with view 10 preparing a report TO the
Governor embodying recommended tions for egisla
ton affecting alien residents.
In setting forth her belief in the need of such
a commission Miss kellor will present facts gath
cred by the Intermunicipal Research Committee,
which includes not only her own department but
also the immigrant welfare committee of the Ma
tional Civic Federation, the Association of Neigh
borhood Workers and the Italian Immigration So
ciety. The facts that they have colated in the
last two years will be submitted to President
Roosevelt in exhaustive report Friday, and
a copy will be sent to Governor Hughes.
Miss kellor. who took active part last year
in bringing about the passage of the laws obliging
private bankers ticket agents to furnish bonds,
discussed her views of the present bill yesterday
She said she feared that some willy ticket agents
have found a way to circumvent the laws that were
to regulate them, and that the first duty of COM
mission immigration would be TO find out
whether existing laws really effective
What we need said Miss kelOr. lis sort
of commission bureau in New York State that
get facts about immigrants in this state and
exchange such data with the federal immigration
Commission A cursory view of the situation should
show the great need of aiding the immigrant OF
course, there are many immigrant aid societies
doing excellent work, but this matter of making
citizens should not be left to private enterprise IL
should be controlled by such state commission,
and the various societies could thus act together
along general lines to a common purpose. At pres
ent the immigrant has way OF knowing just
what organization is the proper one, and the sus-
pcion OF the Immigrant may usually be due to lg-
norance but il is always unjust. Any one can
SET M to-day as an immigrant society. Why. the
vice organization that controls the white slave mar
is incorporated. having filed its incorporation
papers a Albany years ago, and its capital Is
placed on the books of the Secretary of State at
$4,000. To be sure. its title does not specify IL
IS TO deal with foreigners but matter OF fact,
II does most its work among aliens newly LANDED
here.
The recent bomb explosion and the wild East
Side meetings have caused many persons 10 con-
denim certain foreigners for becoming anarchists
But who Is to blame? II had a state conlnis-
sion We could keep track Of the sort of reading
matter distributed among the aliens We have &C
curnulated stacks OF periodicals and pamphlets ana
books printed in foreign languages. III they are
NOT all incendiarv they are least anything nut
the sort reading matter likely to shape 'he
newcomers thoughts into the mould or citzelsit-
A state commission could and should elther print
or cause TO be printed by some Of the immigrant
societies that would welcome the suggestion, DOCKS
or PAMPHLETS in foreign languages dealing Win
American laws, customs and opportunities
"Another problem that would be much anected
hv state commission on immigration is that OF the
unemployed. could help in disseminating III
formation in foreign languages as to places WHERE
labor is needed.
Miss Kellor said she hoped that by next year a
state commission would be working hand IN nand
p-tb tba federal officers In that case, she SAID
we probably will hear less of anarchy ana haiu
luck among the newcomers