New-York tribune., 1909-09-13
DISTRIBUTION OF IMMIGRANTS.
Government Aid TO Enable Workmen 70
Reach Places of Employment Favored.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: The fact that the National Liberal Imn,era-
tion League has appealed TO the press to agftate
the question of granting government aid to work
men to reach places where they nay find employ
ment IS one step the way toward better methods
OF disposing OF not only own unemployed but
OF many OF the immigrants their arrival al
this port
Argentina. South America. has y Narienal F,,rAa,
OF Labor. which in 1903 successfully located 2ss9O
Immigrants who went to that country desiring to
obtain opportunities to work. The bureau supplied
TO each immigrant board and lodging free for five
days AT the place of arrival then free transporta
ton to destination. and ten days free board and
lodging thereafter until Il found employment for
him.
see by the papers that the coke operators ot
western Pennsylvania advertising for two
thousand miners, coke drawers and Iabcrers Here
is useful pointer. and possibly the National Lib
sral immigration League may make some use OF it,
We need wise, progressiYe labor legislation for SO
far all efforts in the matter OF obtaining work for
the unemployed native or alien have In the main
bsen unsuccessful Prescott Hall. In his work
Immigration" says: The Hebrew Industrial Re
movaI once. in New YORK city, IN 1873 sent out
6S25 persons. while In the wear .here settled
In this city 1000 Jewish ImmIsrants-" think the
actual hgUres se0S Theodore Roosevelt was
right when he declared that not only eX-
clude the undesirable. but also ~ the same time
distribute the desirable immigrants. SOr IL we fail
TO DO both nothing will be gained
To relieve the pressure IN the cfties' saws Pro
fessor Commons without restricting the number
admitted. only opens the way for n still larger i'm
migration. AS a relief for current immigration
agricultural distribution IL not promising
The problem grows more perpleNing each year
Ind n II were net that we have efficent COM
missioner of Immisratcn would feel discour-
aged At the prospect. Community Of language. hin
ship and friendship combined with poverty, IN a
large percentage OF cases settles the question Of
location for the immigrant. and he forthwith adds
more the unwholesome accretion in our city's
slums. In fact many oc those who when at
home accustomed TO country life and the cultiva-
tion Of the soil. instead OF following similar
patOns here become occupants Of the city's sweat
shops or add 10 the number Of street venders
and organ grinders
The Federation OF Churches has clearly shown
that in Manhattan the greater the density OF pop
ulatoI (semetimes four thousand TO a block the
greater the percentage Of aliens. OF the 1S ~peo-
pie living in the four most densely populated blocks
the city. nearly 80 per cent Of Russian par
entage and less than per cent OF American par
entage DIR. Schaufler. the head OF the City Mis-
sion and Tract Society. advocates the stoppage os
all immigration for a period of ten years. so that
the country assimate its present population.
and The Tribune OF August says. most truly:
''The first duty of a government Is To its
sttuent citizens rather than 10 aliens poten-
tial citizens" I rejoice 10 note that tho paper
have read for more than fifty years should so
clearly declare It's stand in this matter. and should
have been the only newspaper in New FORK which
published a resolution passed by the immigration
Restriction League that the immigration policy of
this government. as ordained by Congress and effi-
clently enforced by Commissioner Williams. should
not he abrogatCd or set aside ny any organization
in which race or religion Is made test for MEM
bership." JOSIAH =. PUMPELLY.
New York. Aug. Is 1909