Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-02-11
Decision Viewed with Mlsglvlnos.

The decision Of the government TO dis
continue the Chinese immigration bust
ness at Richford Vt. Malone. y. Y, and
Portal, n. D., as ports Of entry into this
country is viewed with misgivings by
some Of the government officials In this
state and the wisdom Of the idea re-
mains to be proved. The contract for
the transportation Of Cinnamon coming
To America through the port of Vancou-
ver y. c.. whose destination is the
United States. is held by the Canadian
Pacific Railroad company, and the prac-
tice of the company has been to transport
them across Canada 20 the ports men
toned. IT is understood to nave been
the governments plan to have the busi-
ness dom at Vancouver and Seattle. but
the Canadiai Pacific officials did not
approve, and they announced their in
tention to bring the Chinese immigrants
from Vancouver to the port Of Boston,
which may be done without violation Of
the provisions OF the Chinese exclusion
act by keeping them under guard and
not allowing them to escape from the
time the United States border is crossed
until they are delivered at the detention
mouse
Chinese immigration business in this
state believe that the new plan will af-
ford an incentive to smuggling across
the border. which now exists only to a
very limited extent Under the present
practice the question Of whether China
/ men applying at the ports for admission
shall be admitted or deported depends to
some extent upon the personal conviction
OF the inspectors as to whether they are
entitled to admission, and ii is not de-
termined so much by the rules Of law
as It would be II it arose in a court OF
law But the question is determined in
a different way in case Of an arrest.
/ II a Chinaman is arrested on suspicion Of
/ being in this country unlawfully his case
is tried in the United States court wnere
the rules Of law and evidence govern
/ hence he stands a better chance Of being
admitted by the court than he would If
| an inspector was called upon to decide
. the case upon the same facts.
Thus If it appears to some Chinamar
1 that mis- chances Of success would be
/ better in the hands Of a Judge than in
/ the hands OF an inspector it may occur
/ 10 him. possibly with the aid Of a sug-
gestion from somebody else, to stop off
at Montreal or some other place in Can
ada and risk an attempt at smuggling.
Up to iS years ago it was an easy
/ matter for Cinnamon to gain admittanct
/ into this country through the Vermont
! port. They came in droves, and it was
not uncommon for a big batch OF cases
! to be disposed of in a very few minutes
| When James l. Martin OF Brattleboro
now United States district judge wa.
! appointed United States district attorney
/ in 1897 they were coming over the Yer.
mont border at the rate OF about 100 q
month and over the New York border
also in large numbers. District Attorney
Martin gave the subject careful study
and formulated a course OF procedure
whereby the Chinese cases were reduced
to an Insignificant number. He secured
| the cooperation OF the New York official,
with the result that there was a similar
falling OFF in the Chinese business a
Malone, and he was mighty compimentet
for his success by the attorney genera
at Washington. The good work has beer
kept up by District Attorney Alexander
Dunnett Of St. Johnsbury.
The ports mentioned, being the three So
called Canadian border ports, were closed
Feb. by order Of the department OF com.
merce and labor They are therefore elm.
mated from the list Of designated places
at which Chinese may apply for admission
to the United States. Arthur L. Week,
has been an efficient inspector at the por
in this state.