Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-11
TELLS ABOUT ALIENS
Commissioner General of I'M
migration Reports.
POINTS OUT A DECREASE
Fiscal Year Ended June 80, 1908,
Regarded as Abnormal.
ENFORCING THE LABOR LAW
Recommendation That Effective
Means Be Taken to Prevent Con-
gestion Of Arriving Foreigners.

The annual report of the commissioner
general of immigration for the fiscal year
ended June 70. 1908. shows that the work
for that period was in many respects
the most comprehensive and interesting
since the organization of the bureau The
report shows. among other things, that
the work increased 20 per cent. notwith-
standing a 80 per cent decrease in i'm
migration.
The reduction in immigration during the
fiscal year is brought out clearly in the
report Of the deputy commissioner, F. H.
Larned, who. owing to the death of Frank
P. Sargent. the commissioner general,
supervised the preparation of the full re-
port.
The total immigration for the year was
7S2, $40, 500, 479 less than for the year 1907
During the fiscal year 1907, L. O64 aliens
were rejected: during the past year. 1892
were rejected.
Net Increase in Population.
BY reason of an amendment to the law
the report for the first time furnishes
figures which show approximately the net
increase in population by immigration.
The figures indicate that the net increase
was 203,S67 OF the aliens admitted
63O.671 were between the ages of fourteen
and forty-four years. OF those admit
ted IT.. 293 could neither read nor write
and 2.31O could read but not write There
fore, about % per cent were illiterate, a
decrease of per cent in comparison with
1907 The total amount of money brought
into the country by arriving immigrants
was $11.74.226. an average of almost
S23 person During the year there were
turned back at the ports, 1O.90I aliens
about Ii per cent of the total number
applying for admission
1t is pointed out that the past year was
abnormal concerning emigration as we'll
as concerning immigration. the same
reason which reduced the latter having
operated with perhaps greater force to
increase the former.
Whence Bulk Comes.
The bulk of the aliens came from SOUTH
ern or eastern Europe-Italy, Austria
Hungary, Greece, Turkey and the small
principalities surrounding them. Russia
furnished 81 per cent of the total. The
report says that the change in the law
extending the filming provisions to cover
the bringing of mentally as well as
physically diseased aliens to the United
States and placing tuberculosis under
the same ban is of great benefit.
There was great activity in the sup
preston of the importation of alien wop-
en- for immoral purposes.
The report shows that the enforcement
of the law relating to alien contract labor
was unprecedentedly successful.
The report expresses qualification with
what has been accomplished in enforcing
the Presidents proclamation directing the
exclusion of japanese and Korean labor
ers. who, after securing from their own
governments passports to Hawaii. C3pada
or Mexico used such passports, contrary
to the wishes Of their own governments.
to obtain entry to the mainland of the
United States.
Increase Of japanese.
The total increase in population by
Japanese immigration was 1896.
The report indicates inadequacy of the
law to accomplish without cause for COM
plant the exclusion of Chinese who are
barred by the statute.
The report urges the government to take
effective means to prevent the congestion
of arriving aliens in the great centers Of
population. 1t is pointed out that some
of the states, particularly in the south
and west are vitality interested in secur-
ing settlers.
Yet the new law" saws the report,
does not in terms and according to the
literal letter. contemplate In the excep
ton more than that the said states should
be allowed to place in foreign newspa pers
and magazines advertisements describing
in general terms the opportunities for set
tiers and wage-earners within their
limits
1t is recommended that Congress
thorize the extension of the work of tho
division of information, SO that arriv-
ing immigrants may have definite inform
alton concerning various desirable locali-
ties in the United States. to the end that
they may locate in such places will
afford them prompt and remunerative en-
ployment.
Considerable space is devoted to the re-
Of Trtdo inho a II hn1 oh iof
of the division of naturalization. Every
effort has been made by the division not
only to eliminate fraud from the naturali-
zation of aliens, but to secure absolute
compliance with the law.
1t is recommended that a sufficient ap-
preparation be made to organize a force OF
examiners to investigate every petition
for naturalization.