The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-03-13

A small percentage of the 1mml-
grafton to this country passes through
the port of Philadelphia, but that city
has never had a government immigra-
ton station, the steamboat companies
carrying the immigrants providing the
necessary quarters for their inspec-
ton. But all this is soon to be
changed. The city of brotherly love
is to have a new immigration station,
and the curious part of it all is that
it will not cost the United States a
dollar.
1t is almost like paradox to say
this, but it is fact, not widely known,
that the million and more immigrants
who come into this country every
year really pay the freight. There Is
head tax of four dollars on each
alien coming into this country, col
lected each time he enters. In the
course of a year the money collected
for this tax amounts to an enormous
sum in the aggregate. 1t is so large
that out of it the entire expenses of
the immigration bureau, and that in
cludes the expenses of inspection at
every port in the United States, are
paid, without a dollar being drawn
from the national treasury. In spite
of the necessarily large draught on
this sum, there is at present an unex-
pended balance to the credit of the
bureau of more than $2,000,000
This money is, by statute, the cap
ital of the immigration bureau. 1t
cannot be diverted from the immigra-
ton fund excepting by an act of con-
gress, but extraordinary expenses can
not be taken without congressional au-
thority. Thus, the strange spectacle
of the rightful owners Of a $2,O0O,0O0
fund asking the permission of con-
gress to spend its own money, is pre-
sented.
For some years there have been OBJ
jections to the present immigrant sta
ton at Philadelphia. Although re-
ports have gained currency that the
place was dirty and unsanitary, Com
missioner John ]. S. Rodgers denied
the truth of these assertions, putting
the objections on altogether different
grounds.
Strictly speaking, there is no I'M
migration station at Philadelphia.
There is a landing station at Wash
ington avenue wharf owned by the In
ternational Mercantile Marine conf
pany and placed at the disposal Of the
commissioner and the inspectors to
facilitate the work Of handling the
aliens who are brought to Philadel-
phia by the corporations ships. The
company will not permit vessels of
another steamship line to unload
their passengers at its pier, conse-
quently, with the present method in
vogue, were other lines coming to
that port, and bringing in their steer
age immigrants, each line would have
to furnish similar accommodations.
With such a state of things it Is
hardly correct to say that there is an
immigration station at Philadelphia.
The immigration bureau pays no rent
for the station, and has it's general
Offices at Third and Walnut streets,
about a mile from the so-called sta
ton. At Ellis Island, New York.
things are managed in different man
ner and the whole work is concen-
trated. 1t is hoped to have a similar
but not so large station at Philadel-
phia within short time. AS the mat
ter now stands, the immigration Off
GERS are at the station only on suffer
ance, and could be elected at any
time if the company so willed. OF
course, nothing of the kind is in con-
temptation and the case is entirely a
hypothetical one; yet its presenta-
ton is not without its educative fea-
lures.
The quarters at the foot of Washing
ton avenue, so far as they go, are
considered by Commissioner Rodgers
as being good, and the inspectors are
not hampered in any way in the exc
cution of their duties. So far as the
steamship companies interested are
concerned, the station is well ar
ranged for the landing of large num-
bers of immigrants in a speedy and
effective manner. The landing sta
ton is connected by a bridge with
the steamship pier, and within five
minutes after a vessel is decked the
head of the line of steerage passengers
Is in the second story Of the immi-
grafton receiving station and the work
of examining the newly arrived aliens
is in progress.
After leaving the ship the immi-
grants are directed across a bridge
which connects pier SO with the land
ing station. There they first undergo
medical inspection, and subsequently
have to pass through the cross-exam-
lining stage. Their baggage is on the
first floor in the hands of customs in
spectors, and as the future American
citizens pass through the inspectors
hands they descend to the first floor.