St. Tammany farmer., 1911-02-25

I(n)HllIiilIlNfR The remainder of the
KMINNHI|lII|lA yearly output from for.
WNINHIllIll(NlN eign countries come
MNN|lIIlIIlMu here because they have
been caught up and
torn away from their native homes by
the superior power Of vast and intri-
cate machine" In its main outlines
this machine" may be likened to an
enormous dredging apparatus stretching
forth gigantic cranes to every port of
Europe, catching up and heaving back
loads Of emigrants collected from every
corner of the eastern hemisphere py the
tireless efforts of no less than $4,000
steamship agents and their canvassers.
The fuel which energizes this colossal
structure Is an equally colossal greed for
yearly dividends, and the combined in
tellects controlling our greatest steam
ship and railroad companies may be said
to represent the engineer. The pivot
upon which the entire mechanism turns
is fraud and evasion of the United States
immigration law
No large city in the United States is
without its element of foreign born pur-
chasable voters, criminal cliques, BLACK
handers," anarchists, paupers, its cheap
labor supply controlled by foreign-born
contractors, it's overcrowded tenements
breeding disease; furthermore, careful
estimate shows that about 80 per cent.
OF the uEaccompanied immigrant male
adults who enter our country are legally
ineligible.
Our laws are therefore an ever recur-
rent subject of controversy. Yet, de-
spite all discussion. no person will dis
pute but that an immigrant is desirable
from every sane standpoint, IL he has
reasonable amount of intelligence, is
physically sound and of good moral char
acter, is possessed of sufficient money
earned by himself to cover the expense
Of his journey and comes here OF his
own initiative. capable for work, but not
under contract to work at wage which
will lower the American standard. But
this in plata language is precisely what
our present immigration law requires;
1t is the legal definition of immigrant
desirability.
To understand the real evil underly-
ing the present condition Of immigration
we must take into consideration that
while our dilettante theorists are con-
suming reams of paper with interesting
reflections upon the problem" while
our country is In its chronic state Of op-
timism over present conditions, whatever
they are-and while our legislators are
engaged in the passage of new, unneces-
sary and often impractical laws-thou-
sands of foreigners excludable under the
laws already passed are being yearly
dumped upon our shores by various In
terests which work together as one ma
chine. 1t is we'll known that the fabu-
lous profits derived from an artificially
stimulated immigration are participated
In by the allied interests OF the trans
atlantic steamship companies, the Ellis
island railroad pool and the Atlantic
coastvise steamship lines. Cooperating,
as they do, they run automatically Of
their own weight, practically without
friction, and thrive by reason Of contin-
uing abnormal immigrant supply. They
ali combine upon a single instrument
namely, the European steamship agent
to solicit a trade in immigrants that Will
appreciably increase passenger fares. he
Il Is who, actuated by prospective fees
which are dependent upon sales made,
giyes impulse to the machine by sell
ing It's through tickets" in every Euro
mean town and hamlet.
The several affiliated steamship lines.
having created their zones OF influence,
enjoy what is practically monopoly
,,ron the sale of steerage tickets, and by
.nreadin9 their field agents over the en-
tira European territory from which I'M
migrants are drawn they effectively sup
press competition.
At the immigrant gateway OF Amer'-
ca all these lines converge to hand over
thair Immigrant cargoes to the other par
Elephants in the machine
From the vantage point at Ellis Island
the railroad "poor'-known as the I'M
migrant Clearing House." which Is
combination Of thirteen OF our largest
railroads, together with one OF the consoi-
,dated steamship companies-takes the
Immigrants in hand to tag and 1orWara
Them to every point in the country at
special third-class rates.
The railroad pool" finds it profitable
to nav TO the United States an annuai
-ertaI of $4,000 for its headquarters on
government ground, where 1t sells spe-
e,o, tickets ''for the benefit Of ship I'M
~oiorants only" for rail transportation
,ron, New York. Boston, Philadelphia and
paltimore to about 1000 selected places
n the interior of the United States Since
these tickets, sold either in Europe or at
Ell,s island, are cheaper In price tnan
con he obtained by our citlzens' the
nIain intent of congress TO Close every
evenue against railroad rate dlscrilnina-
tion as expressed in the laws 1 relating aasaS to
,n,arstate ~ commerce, is clearly dened.
T,,rther, tho committee" by which TINS
"nool" is managed restricts its private
-ate book-"Joint Tariff No. Ito the
s use Of the European steamship Pa agents anS
and and the pools" Joint agents here, ,e.niea ana
:. ,s said that the individual COMPANIES
!. =. - the .noor. share in succession in the
lucrative profits .,,,
:, "a also said that the railroad com
,.n,es as well as the coastwise steam
A Most k,1pr