New-York tribune., 1908-12-29
HARDSHIPS OF ALIENS
FIGHT FOR CITIZENSHIP.
Naturalization Bureau Unable to
Handle the Applicants.

The investigation by Tribune reporter Of com
plant made by Louis Cavallaro. Of No 10 Nortn
street, against the treatment of aliens by tne
naturalization bureau of the United States circuit
Court reveals an existing condition that Judge
Lacombe has characterized as deplorabie Com
missioner Shields agrees with this view, out the
remedy rests with Congress before Wnlch there
now measures for the relief OF tne present Col-
zestion Of work in the naturalization bureau, due
to q wofuIIy insufficient Office force.
Mr. Cavallaro complains that he and Dr. Nicola
Rarbato of No 161 East 106th street, VINO desired
70 take out papers were compelled TO call seVetal
+iv,as At the naturalization bureau, only 10 pc
turned away and told to come around another Ga
In telling Of their experiences Nj CaFalaro sai1
A dozen applicants were waiting in line 9u[SIes 1S
the office receive their papers. ne me "a ~ a m
sharD. Consequently he resolved 70 o7 -
63cYual the next time. and requested me 10 $3 ae
company him again Monday. December - I'D Nv
reached the PosJoftce YESTERDAY al - q ia,s IL tor
a1france Of the northeast corner OF the puildlI5-
other applicants also waiting Al llSI . oII a m
permission was given 10 go up 2IIi iosTiins one
dashed wildly upstairs, pusIlhs am T7Ibi~6
the man in charge lifted remarkins WlLh an Al az ~
smile No use hurrylngi no no 4+srJ ~ 41e meaning
on reaching the fourth floor where the nat1- aB
-aIizarion ofICe is located. We saw an In7 IN a.
pants rush uady forward and get IN er ns so6n 1g
fora fhe door in the large hall Inc CLeLA
lama out and began turning away all s9 I9e app a.
twenty. He kept IePeallTg az = Rsrbafo Complained
o'clock any morning T f5r9e tines negiecting
[t m nrGfessiona m & affairs out the clerk added cooy
% Gan cs nelg it E thar an applicant has 10 call long
before a get fast @ noia o. M 5aisl6bors when
the time comes in order to get IN Ilne aI1s g % t9
first hffeen OF 5 ,,rceedef in obtaining his
cerfihcaJe through the kindness Of ConIliss
him who had probably called dozen times were
tuTs9 To3IG nov say that do not believe it far
that a constitutional night sn2ui5 oe 5nIs e DO
aof relieve that the public servants Of the govern
rent should be allowed to enP-oy 9a5s sDpving
80" "of+igane6ir and no consideration for the time
they lose which OF course means 1 d UsS ~ do
not believe that in order to become an ALneTlcs j
c179m s 9maes II Of Jerfez and Longboat or look for
favors and in the name Of justice a44 i Iog ++e re-
Of COmII unity SuDIllit tliiS -.
nlent hoping it will lead to odifcs{}i9n m 5}i9 OF '7
laws governing the naturalization OF a'1eliS'
The case of these men is no different from those
Of dozens Of other aliens who would become Anler'-
ca cirizens In fact the reporter talked Yesterday
with an applicant in the bureau who had hIleh our
his declaration of intention last May and not uhtl
Yesterday did he succeed IN hlng Il WIN q ct7ih
Rut these delays Commissioner Shields explained
ra dine mainly TO the srnaIIness Of the force hand
Ing these many applications. One man and one boy
is the total of this STAFF. and with all the forTall
that are necessary 70 the issuance OF papers ll@9
rsn handle not more than forty applications N
5av There is one form that alone requires from
ten minutes 70 half hour 10 fill in The statls
tics of the bureau show that in Two years there
have been 2I332 applications registered there ana
about one-third applicants have been turned
away for lack Of facilities
The United States government spends 5000 for
the maintenance of the bureau. in which eXpendi-
rure is Included the salaries Of the clerks and or
| fee expenses Congress had promised that II the
! bureau earned ssGGo in a year there would be
further allowance. but when this request was MADE
| of the UApsrrr1en+ Of Commerce and Labor the
| controller of the Currency decided that the fur
| +her allowance could not he made by implication
| hut that there would have to be a SPECIFIC appro
| uriation the purpose.
| commissioner Shields said
| we need more help, and we need it badly, ou
the present force is doing the best il can. There
are relief meas sures pending in Congress and we are
| I,ona4n1 Of favorable action in this session