Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-18
APPOINT ALIEN
COMMISSION
Gov. Wilson Name Body on
Foreign Population.
tFrom the NEWS Correspondent.)

Trenton, May 18:-One of the
most important commissions that
Governor Wilson will have to ap-
point, after his return from the west,
viii be the commission to make an
inquiry relative to the alien and his
condition in the state. The constant
increase in the foreign population
throughout the state is becoming
one of the most important problems
of the present age. Month by month
the number of aliens who are domi-
ciled in New Jersey is steadily in
creasing. In fact, the population is
being augmented so rapidly that few,
if any. municipalities has kept pace
with the foreign population, and few,
If any. really know how to handle
the problem intelligently.
1t is admitted that the greatest
means of assimilation is the public
school. Yet, in some communities
so great has been the influx of for
eign born children within the past
year, that it is impossible for the
teachers of these schools to give the
scholars the proper attention. AS a
result, many of the foreign born
children are not getting the educa-
ton they might have otherwise. In
some cities, notably New Brunswick,
a school for foreigners, meeting at
night, has been inaugurated, and
many of the aliens in the city have
already taken advantage of it. The
free school is conducted under the
auspices of some of the professors
and students of Rutgers College.
Without Compensation.
Tho hill ornofin0 tho on1o M ic1inn
provided that the commissioners
serving without compensation. How
ever, the commission will have a
fund from which necessary expenses
may be met, and a secretary will
probably be one Of the necessary
adjuncts to insure the proper COM
pilation of such data as may be col
lected by thr -Nmmission.
Much info ion in line with the
object of the mission can doubt
less be obtaint rom the Immigra-
ton Commission body created some
four years ago h act Of congress-.
Representative Be- amin F. Howell,
of New Brunswick, chairman of the
Committee on immigration and
Naturalization, at the time the bill
was passed, was a member of this
commission. The commission passed
out of existence last December, but a
vast amount of data was collected.
Much of 1t has been printed in
pamphlet form. but no extensive re-
port has been published, because no
appropriation has yet been made for
that purpose.
Final Recommendations.
II Sc n y1o4+ap &c tpEnrngA +hot ~ 4ba
final recommendations of the Immigra-
ton Commission, as made to Congress,
it was agreed, among other things that
states should enact laws strictly regu-
lating immigrant banks and also to
regulate employment agencies. 1t was
brought out as a result of the ~investi-
cations made by agents representing
the Commission, that the foreign banks
in many cities were under little or no
supervision, and as a result many
aliens were robbed of their savings of
months, and in some eases, of years.
1t was also shown that the employ
ment agencies were badly conducted,
when operated by foreigners, and that
the aliens sought to take advantage of
their own fellow-eountrymen for the
few dollars that might thus be gained.
1t was recommended that the Bureau of
Information of the immigration Bur
eau be so conducted that it might CO.
operate with the States in the distribu-
ton of the immigrants who came here
to become farmers, and better still,
citizens.
1t is worthy of note that the commits
sion declared that the educational test,
the ability of the alien to read and
write in his own language or tongue,
was deemed the most feasible single
method of restricting undesirable i'm
migration. The commission, as a whole
recommended restriction as demanded
by economic, moral and social consid-
erations and pointed out, the methods
oy which Congress might attain the
desired result.
Agents in the employ of the Commits
sion visited many of the larger cities,
industrial c%enters, and a great mass of
data relative to conditions under which
the alien existed in this country, as
well as abroad, with some instructive
comparisons, were compiled. Some of
this matter could no doubt be procured
by the commission, after it has been
appointed by Governor Wilson, and if
obtained would lessen its labors ma
terially,