The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-18

 COMMISSIONER ON IMMIGRATION
Connecticut Sta.e Board of Trade Elects Officers and Hears In-
 tereSting Addresses

Much interest was shown in the sub- ject of immigration at the meeting of the State Board of Trade held here today. An address was made bv William Williams, the U. S. Im- migration commissioner in charge of Ellis Island who declared that the i'm. migration to the country was not as good as it used to be because of it's being induced by steamship com panies.. He said that the Canadian emigration laws were better than ours and that an As,atic with s2OO could not get into Canada as quickly as a man from the North of Europe with SS.
 He said that the people of South ern Italy are not as desirable as those or the North although there were many desirables among the southern people.
 Congressman E. J. Hill asked the speaker what methods were used to distribute the newcomers in various parts Of the country. MT. Williams replied that the new people went where they pleased and that there was no law whereby they could be sent to any particular place.
 Among other things Mr. Williams said:
 The topic of immigration is always most appropriate to the eastern sec ton Of the country, since from 5000 to 25.00O immigrants arrive every week at New York, and from S0O,000 to l. York alone, three-ffths of them re- ma1ning in the five States of New York. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The bulk or these immigrants come from South and South-Eastern Europe, whereas the early immigration came from the northern countries only. A large DOT tion of this new immigration persists in remain ,ng in the cities and cannot be induced to go to the western and southern States, where agriculturists may be needed. Indeed, a large por- tion of the immigrants who remain in the East are not fitted for life in the West and South and would. not be successful if they could be put there. We all want good immigration and none of us wants bad immigration. What is good and what is bad is not always easy to tell. A great deal of today's immigration is undoubtedly good. This is true even as to that which remains in the East and which has contributed so much toward the development of our industries, but there is no use closing your eyes to the fact that a certain proportion of it is not responsive to the legitimate demands here for additional labor, and that in New York State at least, q am not familiar with the condi- tions in Connecticut much of it goes where 1t is not really wanted.
 I have not come to talk to you on the social or industrial effects of im- migration, but to tell you something about our immigration laws. You must know what these accomplish when properly enforced before you can determine Whether or not the country needs further legislation. When properly enforced these laws result in keeping out what may be termed the scum and riffraff of Europe, which otherwise would come here. That they accomplish even this much is a matter of great importance. It goes without saying that they could not be less severe without exposing the country to positive danger. Fol lowing are the rncipal classes now excluded from admission:
 Idiots, imbeciles, feeble minded per- sons and epiieptics. Insane persons and those who have been insane with in five years. Persons who at any time have had two or more attacks of insanity. Paupers and persons like ly to become a public charge. Persons afflicted with tuberculosis or with loathsome or dangerous contagious disease Gncluding trachoma). Per sons suffering from any mental or physical defect which may affect their asElity to earn living.
 Criminals. polygamists and anar- chists Prostitutes, procurers and persons who are supported by or re- ceive in whole or in part the proceeds of prostitution Children under six teen unaccompanied by either parent (except in the discretion of the Secre- tary of Commerce and Labor)
 In the enforcement of these laws invested in the executive officials and that is why the work is both inter esting and difficult. Take, for in- stance, the phrase likely to become public charge" Properly to apply this requires us to consider, amongst oth- CT matters, the immigrants occupa- tion. his proficiency in the same. his physical ability to pursue it and his mental aptitude therefore, his chances of securing employment, his general appearance, the number of persons who may be dependent upon him for support, either here or abroad, and the value of his property. After all these facts have been ascertained, the ap- plication of them to the particular case still presents very difficult ques- tion. Immigration officials obtain good deal of experience as to apply ing these laws through the numerous immigrants who actually do become public charges and are returned to them for deportation.
 To my mind, one of the most impor- tant provisions in the law is that ex- cluding all persons suffering fro'rr any physical or mental defect which may affect ability to earn a liv-ns. Physical defects of these classes are not per SC ground for exclusion Gas are idiocy, insanity and loathsome and dangerous contagious d-seaSeS), but when present in aggravated form, as so often happens, they usually af- feet the immigrants ability to earn living-in fact they frequently rend- CT him incapable to do so-and thus operate to exclude him, irrespective of whether in addition he is a person likely to become a public charge. The far reaching effect of this new pro- vision of law is not generally under stood. It represents progressive leg isIation along lines to which no per- son whose opinion isentitled to any weight whatever can object. It calls for even more careful medical exam ination than it is possible with the existing facilities to give. So many immigrants have within the past few years found their way into the aims houses and asylums of New York, Connecticut and other States that it behooves the Federal Government to put the immigration authorities in a position where they can give the full est effect to this provision. The Els Island plant is already a very large one but it will have to be increased still further If we are to detect all
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