El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-12
More Rigid Physical Test to
Be Required of Immigrants
Immigration Authorities Face Serious Problem Distributing
coming Humanity Country
By FREDERICK J. HASKN.

THE department Of commerce and
labor covers a wide range OF
governmental activities. The
scrutiny Of corporations. the regulation
Of immigration and naturalization, the
gathering Of census statistics, the regu-
lation Of standards Of measures, pro-
pagation and distribution Of fishes. the
maintenance Of lighthouses, the super
vision Of navigable waters. the coast
and geodetic- survey work. and the
steamboat inspection service are among
the affairs with which the department
deals Among the most interesting
phases OF its activities are the census
and the maintenance Of standards OF
measure, which are treated in separate
chapters.
The bureau OF immigration and na-
turaIlzation has charge Of the work
OF receiving aliens into the United
States and Of the enforcement Of the
laws By which they may become Aner1-
can citizens. One person out Of every
three IN the United States IS an i'm
migrant or the child Of an immigrant
Frequently more than 5000 immigrants
arrive IN one day at the port Of New
York. and on some occasions the aver
age is 5000 a day for a full month. This
gives the inspectors only two minutes
10 each immigrant, and a question
must be asked and answered nearly
every second. Only one immigrant
out Of a thousand Is excluded, although
the restrictions are being multiplied
each year. The head tax Of 81 collected
from each immigrant more than sup
ports the immigration and naturaliza-
ton service Of the country.
Inlmi grants coming to the United
States should possess enough money to
take care Of themselves for q suffi-
Client time to permit them 70 secure
employment. During a recent year the
incoming tide Of humanity exhibited
TO the officials Of the immigration ser
vice more than Az6,uOO,UDu, an average
OF more than $27 per person. Fully So
percent Of these had less than $50
when they came in. The bulk Of the
immigration into the United States /
today comes from southern Europe.
To Make Physical Test Rigid.
It has been proposed in congress /
that all male aliens between the ages
OF IS and 80 shall be required TO stand F.
a physical test equal to that under
gone by recruits for the army and
navy, this test Of course, to be ap-
piled to manual lsborers only. APPROX /
msately four out Of five Of the I'M +
migrants who come into the United
States come through the port Of New .
York. OF the 1,041,570 immigrants ar +
irving in 1910. 7S6,004 came through
that port.
One OF the greatest difficulties which /
the immigration authorities has to face .
Is that Of distributing this flood OF
humanity over the entire country
around the port OF entry. There is
a provision in the immigration law
which provides that contract labOrers
shall not be brought into the United
states. A striking Illustration OF the
case with which constituencies persons
OF corporations can violate the spirit
Of this law without putting themselves
within reach Of its letter, is the case
of a large concern which made ar
engagements with interested parties to
keep Il supplied with common manual
aborers, offering fair wage The
wages offered would usually be paid
-Or the first week, and then the aliens
Ire placed on piece work, at wage
md under conditions. barely afford
ng an existence. This would result
p their leaving the concern as soon
IS by starving economy or otherwise.
hey could raise a sufficient sum to
axe them TO some other place Then
helr places would be filled with other
i2sEilled and ignorant men piloted I
y the society Thus the concern
aalntained constant supply of cheap
orelsn labor the supposedly philan- {
nroplc organization earned e rich
nancial reward, and the aliens were
Ultra geouSly exploited.
Steamship Promotion Methods. {
me heaFy fmml grafton from south- {
IN Europe IS accredited mainly to the
romO ton methods Of steamship
gencies and professional money lend
rs They make large profits cut OF
be immigrant business, and even II Z
hey have to carry some of the i'm
ligrants back, IL stilI leaves enough 7
rcfit to make the business very much 2
-orUh while.
The hardest problem which the i'm {
llgraticn service has to solve IS that 7
enforcing the Chinese immigration
Tvs Sometimes the Chinese slip in 7
3 the United States from Canada or
leTico IN sealed freight cars, or even
! the refrigerators OF dining cars. At
Their times they come hidden in coal
mixers, chain lockers fOrepeaks and
ther secluded parts of ocean-going :
essels. 1t is stated that many OF J
be Chinese in the United States to- =
Gy have reached here in violation OF
be Chinese immigration law.
Evasion OF the Law a
typical case OF evasion OF the law I
-as that OF 2 Cinnamon who recently Z
rrived at San Francisco accompanied {
Y an alleged son. So well were they
oached that on examining them the 3
Ulcers became satisfied that their r
lains were bona fide and Instructions ( q
ere given for their landing II the 2
hinaman had been satisfied to per q
citrate only two frauds and lay the &
as1s Tor later similar operations, sue :
ass would have attended him. But he S
yer reached himself. AS he started I a
shore one OF the Watchmen no I
ced something about him that ex-
ted the suspicion that he was carry E,
e coaching letters and a search Of {,
IS person revealed the fact that he :
ad consented to be the message bearer / -
lr q number OF the detained Chinese
no, their cases being fraudulent. wish
! 10 get letters ashore tc the snug :
lerS interested In them choyufnrr bovu ! =