The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-01
INQUIRY PROMISES
| TO BRING RESULTS
IMMIGRATION COMMISSIONS RE
PORT TO CONGRESS WILL
HELP REFORM.
MANY MATTERS LOOKED INTO
White Slave Traffic, Smuggling In ot
; Aslatles, Allen Criminals, Peon.
age, Congestion In Large
cities, Etc.

! Washington, March 1.--some facts
showing the far-reaching character OF
the work OF the joint commission on
immigration which was appointed by
congress on February 20, 1897, were
presented TO congress to-day through
the publication of preliminary re
port by the commission. This report
deals with practically every phase OF
the immigration question, including
oriental aliens and other excluded
classes, peonage. charity among i'm
migrants, white slave traffic, condi.
tions OF steerage, anthropology, con.
gestion in large cities, alien-criminal,
tty, competition Of immigrants, school
inquiries, administration of the i'm.
migration laws, distribution of immi.
grants and other questions.
No conclusions have been reported
by the commission, but the scope Of
the work Is shown In a manner which
presages extensive legislation in the
future. The commission says II Is
generally admitted by those acquaint-
ed with the subject that. notwith.
standing the fact that the present law
proposes to provide for the exclusion
Of every undesirable immigrant,
thousands Of undeniably undesirable
persons are admitted each year. II
has been found that the law in theory
no far as It's exclusion provisions are
concerned, is exceptionally strong
but In effect Il is. In some respects
weak and Intellectual. The commits
sion says II has discovered several
sources Of this weakness, and It is its
purpose to find the others to recon.
mend some effective remedies.
One OF the most important features
OF the work is connected with eva
Bions Of the law resulting in the i'm
portation Of excluded classes. Not
withstanding the expenditure of about
$500,00o annually 70 enforce this law
the commission finds that 1t does not
prevent the coming of Chinese labor
ers In considerable numbers.
An extensive investigation is being
made into the question OF the impor.
tation and harboring of women for
immoral purposes. The results show
that many women are being constant
ly imported under conditions which
amount to absolute slavery. As the
results of its inquiries and the evi-
dences II has gathered there has
been a noteworthy attack upon this
business which has resulted in very
marked decrease since the committee
began it's work.
The utmost Importance is attached
20 the inquiry being made into the
subject of alien criminality. The
higher criminal courts of New York
City are. at the request Of the COM
mission. keeping records in great de-
tail OF each person convicted of crime
and Il Is intended that a study of for
sign-born criminals and criminals OF
the second generation will be made
In that city.
In taking up the congestion OF i'm.
migrants in large cities the commits
sion is observing communities In.
habited principally by members of
one race, as to whether the clinging
together Of members Of the same race
handicaps them in their struggle for
advancement and prevents their
rapid assimilation and Amerieaniza-
tion.
A careful inquiry among wage earn
s-s who are forced to compete with
Immigrant labor is being made among
workers at trades and occupations in
which immigrants are largely en-
gagged. In California and Washington
the report, when made, will cover the
presence OF Japanese, Chinese and
Hlndus.