New-York tribune., 1911-03-12

away with Sn intolerable state OF things.
: II was then impossible for an immigrant TO
buy through ticket from point in Ei-
| rope 10 ali inland point in the United states
/ or. TO he more exact 1t was more cosby
TO buy American railroad tickets in Europe
than it was in New York. As a result
/ immigrants landed in New York with con-
siderable sums OF money which they meant
10 eXpend I'm railroad fares. In new
. country. speaking strange language II
was inevitable that they should he cheated
/ Railroad runners" and irresponsible
sharps pounced upon them as soon as they
had reached the Battery and sold them
/ tickets. each over his own line, and often
to places hundreds OF miles from the places
to which they wished to go. To stop this
tho government encouraged the railroads to
come to an understanding with one another
and To establish a single, responsible office
in the government building at Ellis Island
at which immigrants who had purchased
/ through transportation in Europe could eX-
change their foreign orders for bona nde
tickets. The government also undertook TO
see that the immigrants reached the trains
for which they were intended without mo-
lestation. So. the immigrant pool was
and still is, nurtured in the governments
own house.
Immigration has grown since 1883, how
ever, and immigrant traffic 10 the West
has grown even more rapidly. To-day
about 10000 men, women and children
annually leave Ellis Island directly for
the railroad terminals. That is an enor-
nous number even for such n railroad
country as the United States lmml-
grants supply from - 10 81 pc cent Of ali
tho westward passenger traffic in trunk
line territory" a. the country between
New York and Chicago IL known. And
with the growth Of immigrant traffic ha.
grown the public outcry against railroa !
, oppression and railroad pools" IT is gsa-
orally known that the railroads do divide
! up the business Of the country between
/ them. and tha; in the East this division
! Is effected through ,ie medium OF the
/ Eastern Trunk Line Association" But IT
/ is also supposed that the government Is
/ violently opposed 10 such proceeding, ard
/ tnat for fear OF government interference
/ the roads act under no formal contract bu;
under an unwrittcn 'gentlcmen's agree
meut."
/ The astonishing thing about the situa-
/ tion. however. Is that II is tho ove-Erown
/ Ellis Island pool fostered by tbo highest
| authority OF the nation. that j. the clearing
! house FOR this gigantic railroad monopoly.
/ Tho first class passenger traffic between
two points such as New York and Chicago
, cannot bc forced to run through any given
channel II YOU or / set out on the Jour
ney we go To whatever railroad We choose
/ and buy a ticket one road Offers the in
ducement of great speed; another has a
rate s. lower. third has slower train,
which. however. arrives al more con-
yenient hour OF the day
There are certain routes. however ihai
arc so badly arranged that no sane man
would spend his money To follow them.
/ Certain roads in the Middle West are M
able 20 attract the amount OF traffic %
which they are entitled under the agree
meut Of The Trunk Line Association These
arc the roads over which the immigrants
are sent
When an immigrant family goes 10 the
ticket Office az Ellis Island. and the father
masses over the bunch ~ orders whicl
, entities his party to transportation t0 AT
. inland point he has no choice Of routes
. Tho clerk passes ont 10 him a certain num-
her Of tickets ovci' a certain series II roads
and those are tho roads over which he ane
his must ride. IL was the Trunk Line A.
sociation which determined at rs las
monthly meeting what those roads were L
be. II certain Western line has falleI
, of In its traffic for the month before. the'
Il is entitled TO some more immigrants. an,
immigrants IT gets through tho generou
liberation OF Uncle Sam. That is why som
thousands of new citizens were pat off a
, Ohio city during the year, ~ order tia
the Toledo. 81. Louis & Western might gc
trs share out OF the great pool cf the Trunl
Line Association.
1t was said Oh tie best or authority ,ha