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

and there gather their baggage and
await their return, or, rather, the car
which is to be attached to the train
going in the direction Of the coun-
try for which they have tickets.
Those immigrants who have not
satisfied the inspectors that they are
legally fitted to land are turned over
to the steamship companies, who, by
law, are compelled to return the aliens
regarded as undesirable by the steam
ship which brought them. The COM
panies are liable to fine of $500 If
| they permit one of these aliens to es-
cape while awaiting deportation. The
steamship companies and the rail-
road company have fitted up an old
hotel once known to fame as the
Snowden house, at $3.50 Swanson
street, as a house of detention. This,
like the landing station, is private
property, which is not generally re-
garded as being calculated for the
best interests of the immigration Of
fee. For if an immigrant or stow
away from another line is to be de-
ported this detention house cannot be
used by the line The other lines do
not do sufficiently large immigration
business to warrant the establishment
of similar quarters.
Plans for such a station as was
then thought desirable were drawn
some years ago. but it is understood
that these plans will not be used, but,
in a general way, what has been done
at Ellis Island will be duplicated on
smaller scale for Philadelphia.
What we want" said immigration
Commissioner Rodgers, lis a proper
building in which will be the landing
office, the detention quarters, offices
and a customs department. These
should all be under one roof, under
federal control and ownership. Sec
rotary Straus, head of the department
of commerce and labor, and Frank p.
Sargent, commissioner general of i'm
migration and naturalization, will
probably make visit to the city with
lecting site for the proposed station.
A water front location is desired, and
yet no site has been selected"
1t Is understood that before the site
is selected the steamship companies
will be given hearing. The repre-
sentative of one of the companies
which is not now carrying steerage
passengers is said to have remarked
that when there is federal landing
station for the reception Of immi-
grants his company will land at Phila-
delphia about 1000 promising foreign
citizens a month. At present this
business would not warrant such an
expenditure as is being made by the
International Mercantile Marine Com
pany and the railroad company.
From this statement it would ap-
pear that under the present mode of
conducting the reception Of immi-
grants at that port the International
Mercantile Marine Company has mo-
nopoly, since it will not permit other
steamships to unload their passengers
at its pier. On the other hand, the
corporation, which is said to have
monopoly of the steerage business to
Philadelphia, is credited with the state
ment that there is no money in the
business, and that consequently it will
make no improvements to its i'm
migrant receiving station. With this
ultimatum ringing in their ears, it be-
hooyes the federal authorities to erect
suitable station. Representative
Moore has stated the case to con-
gress. and the bill having passed, the
nations lawmakers are going to per-
NIT the immigration bureau to spend
its own money to put up suitable
structure.