The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-11-08
mental or physical disability

country.
fhe proper execution of the immi-
grafton law involves the exercise of
much sound judgment. This is par
ticdlarly so in determining whether
or not an immigrant is pauper,
person likely to become public
charge, or where he is suffering from
a minor physical defect, whether the
same will affect his ability to earn
living. There are matters as to the
determination of which there exist
no set formulas and it is usually
necessary to consider many things,
including the immigrants physical
condition, his occupation, his ability
to pursue it, the number of persons
dependent upon him. his chances of
securing and holding employment
and the amount of money in his pos
session. AS to how much he must
bring the statute is silent, so that no
hard and fast rule can be laid down
in this regard. The authorities us
ually require him to have enough to
provide for his reasonable wants I'M
til such time as he is likely to find
employment.
Immigrants held for special inquiry
receive yellow cards and are placed
in the room at the westerly end of
the floor below the balcony, whence
they are taken before one of the sew
eral boards of special inquiry which
are constantly in session. These
boards are composed of three inspec-
tors and have power to admit or ex-
clude. An appeal lies from their ex-
Guiding decision the commissioner
and the Commissioner General to
the Secretary of Commerce and La
Dor. Their sessions are by statute
closed to the general public.
All detention expenses at Ellis
Island are payable by the steamship
company concerned, irrespective of
whether the immigrant is subsequent
ly admitted or deported except where
| deportation is stayed by the request
of a relative or friend
The quarters to which those de-
| tanned are assigned are at the easter
ly end of the main buildin G. The
dining room, which we visited first,
is a spacious, airy room with seat
ing capacity of twelve hundred. The
| NOOhtD NuDltSs NlluOul NONGIH, Dul
scrubbed clean and white daily, run
lengthwise of the room Each is
fitted with two long wooden benches,
one for each side of the table and two
shorter ones for the ends The dish
es are of gray enameled ware and
| consist of bowl and plate Each
person is also provided with a steel
knife, fork and spoon, unfamiliar OBJ
jects to many of them The food
served is wholesome and nutritious.
The bill of fare for each day in the
week, which is the same throughout
the year. and differs slightly from
day TO day hangs just inside the door
to the left as one enters the room.
Saturday, the day on which We were
there, the menu for breakfast con-
sisted Of
Wheat or Rye bread, pork and
beans. tea or coffee and crackers
and milk for children.
For dinner: Mutton broth, pota-
toes, mutton stew, boiled onions. rye
or wheat bread, tea or coffee.
crackers and milk for children.
For supper: -Stewed prunes. gin
ger cookies. rye or white bread. tea
or coffee, crackers and milk for the
children.
As we were there at noon we saw
those detained pass into dinner.
What a spectacle they presented
Dressed in their various national cos
tunes, men, women and children.
young and old. some with all their
earthly belongings tied up in hand
kerchief, sheet or pillow case trundl-
ing it along to dinner with them:
youngsters Of various ages clinging 10
their skirts or coattails as the case
might be. Most of the men wore
their hats at the table, many sat up
on their luggage thus bringing their
knees on level with the table. And
with II all the ceaseless murmur of
many tongues broken only by the
smacking of lips and the effort TO
cram more food into the already
well filed mouth with both hands.
The face of one Russian woman
shone with JOY as she passed holding
tightly to her little son with one
hand, carrying her boundle of cloth
ing with the other. Her daughter. a
child OF ten years, who had been held
at quarantine for two weeks and on
whose account she had been detain.
ed, was to be released the following
Monday. With her they were to
join the father in the middle west.
Back of the dining room is the kit
chen fitted with huge steel ranges
immense ovens, automatic dish.wasb-
ers and large steam cookers. Every.
thing is clean and sanitary. The
room is light and well ventilated
The floor of soft gray stone con
trasts pleasingly with the blue-white
thing of walls and ceiling.
Passing from the dining room down
a fight of stone stairs to the right
the visitor is next conducted to the
dormitories; one for women and chill.
! dren. the other for men. The fur
nishings of each consist OF white iron
cots, with soft mattresses and nil
lows. clean linen and comfortables
as the weather demands. Every
where is dominant that neatness. or.
der and cleanliness so characteristic
throughout the entire building.
Passing back through the corridor
tothe front of the building one may
see in rooms equipped with benches
and a desk. immigrants. with their