The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-03-16
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and there gather their baggage ana
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 a 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 $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
businessfto warrant the establishment
Of similar quarters.
Plans for such station as was
then thought desirable we're 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, is a proper
building in which will be the landing
Office, the detention quarters, Offices
and customs department. These
should all be under one roof, under
federal control and ownership. Sec
retary Straus, head Of the department
Of commerce and labor, and Frank p
Sargent, commissioner general Of inn
migration and naturalization, will
probably make visit to the city with
in short time for the purpose Of SCI
lecting a site for the proposed station.
A water front location is desired, and
yet no site has been selected"
It is understood that before the site
is selected the steamship companies
: will be given a 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 a 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
u pany and the railroad company.
. From this statement 1t would ap-
rear that under the present mode Of
9 conducting the reception OF imlni
grants at that port the international
IS Mercantile Marine Company has a mo
n nopoly, since it will not permit other
- steamships " uhloou tAeh baooChbSis
It at its pier On the other hand, the
Il corporation, which IS said to have Z
5, monopoly Of the steerage business tt
a Philadelphia, is credited with the state
E. ment that there is no money in tn.
d business, and that consequently it vii
D. make no improvements to its i'm
IT migrant receiving station, With thi
j. ultimatum ringing in their ears, It be
I. hooves the federal authorities to erec
H. suitable station. Representative
7. Moore has stated the case to cor
" gress, and the bill having passed, tn
Jf nations lawmakers are going to pei
n init the immigration bureau to spen
its own money to put up a suitabl
a structure.