Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-16


work. ONCE and field. is slightly more
than $2jO.0O0.
Last year 16o. 142 declarations were fled
in the various courts, 90. 627 petitions were
were issued. In the last annual report of
the chief Of the division OF naturalization
a table Is given showing the increase dur
ing the last four years. In 1909 the num-
Der of declarations filed was 1922; in
1910 it rose to 167, 226, and in 1911 to 1885,
15. The petitions for 1909 numbered 49,
IFS; for 1910, 5,O3S, and for 1911. 1864.
The force in 1909 comprised twenty-eight
people. including officers and messengers
while today the clerical force alone num-
bers thirty eight.
One point OF distinction in connection
with this division Is that 1t is more than
self supporting. Last year
Supported the receipts were $685., 315.
while the expenditures for
Wy HooS' everything, including print
ing and other items. were $257 ,67S, leaving
a balance Of $sO,637 This balance. how
ever is not placed to the credit OF the Of
fee, funds for its maintenance being APP
propriated annually by Congress.
Just as many tunes can be played on a
small musical instrument. 50 many hui
man comedies and tragedies can be acted
with this single formula connected with
naturalization as the central plot. The
bare statement that Of the 167, 226 decla-
rations OF intention filed in 1910 only SO.
965 certificates Of citizenship were issued
last year shows that often the grim
figure Of tragedy lurked near. Last year
most of those 1925 declarations filed
in 1910 were followed up with petitions,
and these in turn with certificates A GER
tain per cent must be allowed for those
who may have delayed in filing their petit
tons, left the country, died or even
changed their minds. But even so, there
must yet be left a considerable number
who did all they knew how to gain their
desire. the right to claim the Stars and
Stripes as their flag, and who failed And
of this class allowance must. Of course,
be made for some who tried by fraud
10 the greater portion of aliens coming
TO this country law courts are little
known. If at all. And when the declara-
ton Of intention or petition Is filed. or
the case heard. an illegible answer. a
stammered reply may bring forth the fact
that the applicant has not attained SUM-
cient knowledge. Or. small as 1t may APP
pear, nVe dollars looms large to those In
the throes Of poverty-and the lack of
the necessary fee may bar the way.
X i
No better idea Of the volume of work
carried on by an Office can be obtained
than through the mail handled
deaVy Last year more than 5000
Mol pieces OF mail came into the d.
vision Of naturalization, about
one-sixth being registered. That makes
the average daily incoming mail number
almost 800 pieces. The outgoing mail to-
tailed approximately 10000 pieces. of
which number 1000 were letters, &C. COO
form letters and 1880 petition notices
PETITION notices are notices sent to chief
naturalization examiners notifying them
OF defects in petitions and dates of final
hearings The daily average Of outgoing
mai was 40 pieces, making grand total
OF more than 700 pieces of mail handled
each working day Of the year.
In dealing with the petitions filed and
cases heard for the fiscal year passed. :
comparative statistical table is Contained
IN the last annual report showing the
NUMBER OF !. certificates Of citizenshin
g ga and denied in each state, and the
reason for so. denying. Next to New
york, which heads the list in the mum.
per OF cases disposed OF, comes illinois
with l:l75 certificates denied and 5.642
granted. South Carolina, on the other
mar hano ;, comes at the foot Of the list. hav-
Wnlcn SIX were denied. North Carolina's
cases 1otaled but one more, the deniaie
numbering ten.
Iaking the table as a whole, In respect
to the United States and it's possessions.
tnirteen reasons are given as
Causes Of causes for the denial Of Ger
Denial tificates' chief of these being
want Of prosecution, more
than 5000 such instances occurring in the
year. One hundred were already citizens
Of the United States. while almost as
many died before their case came up for
nearing. Ignorance was fhe cause of
l,1SO not receiving certificates, while in
competent witnesses destroyed the
chances Of nearly 5000 others receiving
certificates. Immoral character was the
cause OF about 500 being denied citizen
ship, and about 400 were disallowed on
the ground Of insufficient residence. OF
the whole number OF cases heard in this
country the number Of aliens denied citi-
zenship was IL per cent
cases where aliens have violated the
naturalization laws are not infrenuent
During the fiscal year 1911-1912 thirtv-
eight cases OF such a nature came I'M.
while thtrty-One others were pending at
the beginning of the year. Most of these
were prosecuted in the New York dis
trlct. there being thirty-six cases. OF all
cases fourteen Jail sentences were i'm
posed, nine fines assessed and In three
cases both fines and Jail sentences were
imposed. There were no acuuittaIs
Money received from fines amounted to
nearly $500.
BY. treaties with Austria. GERMANY
Wurttemberg, Sweden and Norwav ora
Mexico it is provided
ANOMALOUS that the declaration of
Conditions intention made by for
mer citizens of those
powers shall not have the effect of citi-
zenship legally acquired. In such in
stances the alien is in the peculiar posi-
ton OF having no allegiance and no gov
eminent to look to for protection in case
OF need. To counterfeit this state of af-
1a1rs, however, the laws Of certain states
give him a certain degree of rights. Also
ne may take q homestead on the public
lands. whereas an alien may not, and in
certain states he may acquire and hold
real property. where an alien NAV NOT
And then, too. in nine states by the SIM
pie act of filing a declaration of inten-
ton an alien may secure the right to cast
MS ballot In elections, both state and ma
t1onal. States having such a law arc
arkansas, Indiana, Kansas Michigan.
Missouri, Nebra ska TaxaS Nraror