Omaha daily bee., 1911-09-03

sells for something like $21,000,0o0 We are doing
great deal for the salmon, both a>ng the Columbia
river and in Puget sound and Alaska. AS to the
fur seals they under the department, and If we
could protect them from the robbers who, contrary
to law try TO catch them their to the Prbalo
islands we could materially the herd. AS it
is, the sealskns now bring in something like S45O-
600 year. In the past they have been worth great
deal"
One Million Immigrants
The conversation here turned to immigration, of
which the Department Of Commerce and Labor has
charge and asked the secretary as to character
of the citizens getting from Europe. He
replied:
The most of them come from the southern and
eastern countries We admitted than 1000, 900
last year and within the last have passed
between 100000 and 100000, AT the present
we are admitting Italians than any of the others
In 1900 we had over 900 of them. Next came
the Poles who numbered 1913 600, and then the Jews,
Germans English and Irish.
You must remember however. that a great many
of these immigrants stay only few years and that
there a steady flow back to the old country. be-
lieve that some Of them come here with the idea Of
making fortune in few years and then going back
home. Some send their savings back from month to
month, and this is reason for the hundreds Of
millions of dollars worth of money orders which
annually forwarded to Europe"
Keeping Out the Scrap.
do We get many bad immigrants?" I asked.
Not If this department help II. We have a
force of about 1900 men who are engaged in guard
ing the ports and boundaries to keep out those
whom the law forbids landing. These are, you
know all those who have contagious diseases all
who mentally weak, all who have been criminals
in the countries from where they came, and all who
paupers and unable to support themselves. We
turn about 25 900 such immigrants back every year
and. although at times it seems almost cruel to dc
So are forced protect the people at home from
such invasion from abroad"
What causes the immigrants to come to the
United states?"
The number increases or decreases with good OF
bad times. Just the country Is prosperous, and
foreigners come here to get the high wages and bet
ter conditions Of living The immigration is also
largely matter of freight 1t is drummed up by the
steamship companies and the railroads in order
that they may receive the passage money for carry
ing the immigrants here"
"Can you keep out the Asiaties?"
The law forbids us TO admit the Chinese, and
the is true 10 extent of the japanese Dur
ing the last year have passed in 1850 japanese
and during the same time something like 1900 came
into Hawaii California has also had something o.
an immigration Of Hndus."
What are you doing along labor lines?"
I'VE gathering information of all Sorts no
only for the and the scientist but for thu
laboring man himself and those who employ him. w,
getting information 10 child labor and woman
labor to wages and strikes and as TO accident
and how the Iaborer may be protected from them
investigating the Corporations.
Il suppose that a great part OF your work is con
nseted with the eorporatons7"
Yes, that was one Of the main reasons for found