The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-03-11
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women draw water He was "friend. IN
the homes of the respondent and TO the
he prodered sympathy
to those who were heavily taxed; he
listened to the various events in their
lives and awakened the dormant Impulse
to migrate which is born in every human
heart Thus he created demand Tor MS
steerage tickets by spreading discomfort
with home surroundings and by aroustng
hope and enthusiasm for America always
promising that there everything will be
all right
Hardly any commercial enterprise In
Europe Is more remuneratlve than that
of encouraging emigration. From the
sale Of a single ticket several fees accrue
which, fully computed, range from hVe
to twenty-five dollars per emigrant. There
is commission upon the sale OF the
steerage ticket, another for the railroad
ticket and the agent charges third 70
the emigrant If he can; extra fees are
added for procuring various official pa
pers which the emigrant is told he needs;
large fees are taxed for placing jetty
mortgages and making loans OF money
secured by the promises OF friends IN
the community, for which interest runs
as high as 80 or SO per cent; white
Helpers who escort the emigrants TO
embarking points and march them 70 the
pier-likewise emigrant-house Keepers,
money exchanges, ship Interpreters
must be paid On this side of the water
at Ellis Island, there are other speculas
tors, various persons interested in the
welfare Of aliens" that insist upon send
ing kilograms for them, selling them
food, changing their money, handling
their baggage; and, frequently, on plea
of escorting them to their place OF destt-
nation, runners will guide" immigrants
into the hands Of some labor agent by
which they are paid, thus drawing
double fees
One may think the agent conscience
less in his greed for gain, but, on the
other hand, he is cleaning profits greater
than his own for men far above him Id
the business world The machine" de-
ponds upon him for passenger fares; con-
tractors depend upon hfa spr gangs OF
"greeners" to dominate aSsa exploit:
American employers beckon to the cheap
labor which he alone can provide; even
his own government may be tempted to
withhold interference with all Ills ma,
neuvers, for Is he not an instrument
through which wealth and benefs 10 his
nation Is accumulated? Bank deposits
certainly are augmented through ais ef-
forts; economic and Industrial condi-
lions are improved; the large head tax
also which is cleaned through his efforts
brings substantial increase to his ma.
tion's revenue; while the relief from
supporting too many poor, from educat-
ing too many illiterates, perhaps also
the temptation to quietly scatter crIm1
nails (who knows)-all are surely
brought about through the eff,irts Of the
steamship agent. The respect accorded
to him by all seems only to Increase his
zeal
Mastering the situation from all sides
he sytematizes his work and makes II
efficient through a painstaking persist
ent study Of the lower classes OF Eu
roLe-their weaknesses and their wants
and with provident eye on the future
he trains his son from early manhood In
all the intricacies Of his subtle trade. Ii
time he becomes all things to all men
he IS never discouraged, and Is able tt
Wheedle almost every person within his
reach into the belief that America is the
great and only goal.
We have seen that our government
officials are hoodwinked daily by thou
sands Of foreigners. deposited at oul
ports by these allied interests, carefully
coached in deceit by their agents. FRAUD
starts the immigrant upon his journey
fraud lands him in America. Fraud il
merged into the very name America. z
The immigrant does not fully realizt
what he Is doing his trust is in his oWr
countrymen and not IN the people Of ,
strange land
Culture at any Cost