The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-03-16

has never had a government immigra-
tion station, the steamboat companies
carrying the immigrants providing the
necessary quarters for their inspec-
tion. 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 d
dollar.
II is almost like a paradox to say
this, but 1t Is a 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. It 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 $2,000,O0O
fund asking the permission of con
gress to spend its own money. is pre-
sented.
For some years there have been OBJ
iections 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
lngton avenue wharf owned by the In
ternational Mercantile Marine com
pany and placed at the disposal Of tho
commissioner and the inspectors t
facilitate the work of handling thu
aliens who are brought to Philadel
phia by the corporations ships. Th'
company win not permit vessels 0
another steamship line TO unloa'
their passengers at its pier, conse
Quently, with the present method i
vogue. we're other lines coming t
that port, and bringing in their steer
age immigrants, each line would hav
to furnish similar accommodations.
With such a state Of things it
hardly correct to say that there Is a
immigration station at Philadelphia
The immigration bureau pays no rer
for the station, and has its geners
Offices at Third and Walnut streets
about mile from the so-called ST
ton. At Ellis Island, New Yorl
things are managed in different mai
ner and the whole work is conceI
trated. It is hoped to have simila
but not so large station at Philade
phia within a short time. AS the ma
ter now stands, the immigration of
GERS are at the station only on suffe
ance, and could be elected at an
time If the company so willed.
course, nothing Of the kind is in CO
temptation and the case is entirely
hypothetical one: yet its present
ton is not without its educative fe
lures.
The quarters at the foot of Washin
ton avenue, so far as they go, a
considered by Commissioner Rodge
as being good, end the inspectors a
not hampered in any way in the e1
| cution Of their duties. So lar as Il
| steamship companies interested a
| concerned, the station is well {
| ranged for the landing of large nul
| bers Of immigrants in a speedy a.
/ effective manner. The landing 81
/ tion is connected by a bridge wi
/ the steamship pier. and within a
H minutes after a vessel is decked {
II head of the line Of steerage passenge
II is in the second story Of the imr
II grafton receiving station and the wa
Il Of examining the newly arrived allie
Il Is in progress.
! After leaving the ship the imI
q grants are directed across a bird
;. which connects pier SO with the lai
z ing station. There they first under
It medical inspection, and subseQuen
g have TO pass through the cross-exs
g ining stage. Their baggage is on
J: first floor in the hands OF customs
a a spectors, and as the future Ameris
4 citizens pass through the inHpectg
hands they descend to the first nc