The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-01

not become the blood and bone of ma
tional health. Symptoms of ill-feeding
have appeared-too much food, the
wrong Kind, and imperfect digestion of
| it. Thus certain kinds of immigrants
are kept out; other kinds are admitted
only on certain conditions, yet there has
remained the tendency of them to herd
in cities whereas they were most needed
and best conditioned in small towns and
the country. Again the metaphor of
digestion: They were swallowed in a
lump without chewing and the mass lay
heavily and distressed.
All this has been threshed through
times enough; but now the y. NJ. G. A.
has put to work that desideratum OF
the age something practical In the
steerage of every large passenger steam
ship that enters our port is a human
ballast of immigrants. To speak of
them contemptuously as "offscourings"
betrays an ignorance of the alarm of
foreign governments at the loss of their
sturdiest yeomanry and peasantry. By
the fact of their courage and initiative
they are often the pick of the laboring
population in the lands from which they
come. But they approach our shores
as an undiscovered country. The Y. Nj.
G.. A. has sent voyaging secretaries into
the steerage to "show them the ropes"
Thus the program: A stereopticon lecture
on the process of getting through the
immigration inspection at Ellis island;
railroad maps as guides to destinations;
talks on American industries, what they
are, where they are, the prospects in
each and how reached: warning against
the shore sharks that forever nibble
about steamship piers and hunt the i'm
migrant across the continent; charter
ing the Young Mems Christian associa-
tions all over the country in order that
the immigrant may know where to find
a responsible and trustworthy friend.
The association now takes the immi-
grant by the hand as soon as he arrives
in a foreign port-Liverpool, Bristol,
Southampton, Plymouth, Glasgow, Rot
terdam, Naples, Copenhagen, Antwerp,
Iiango, Libau, Havre and Gothenburg
teaches him on the way across: meets
him at the dock, and watches him until
he arrives at his destination. If after
that, he wishes to continue the ac-
quaintance he can do so, and last year
lNo,uOO OF lne immigrants ulu-nsatiy
30 per cent. The association helped in
the search for employment, traced out
the addresses of friends, cashed checks,
found reputable boarding places, and es
tablisied aequaintanceship with up
right people in order that the first aid
TO the immigrant should not come from
the shyster and the ward boss. This is
what might be called being on the job.
Our immigration is a vast and vital
problem. Even when the number ad-
mitted each year is halved, as should
be done Immediately, those who are
passed constitute large responsibility. |
1t will not do TO expose the immigrant |
70 fraud. allow him to live in unspeak |
able slums for lack of better place TO |
70, enslave him in unfair industrial con-
litions and allow his woes to breed |
rhine and revolt, and then clamor for
wholesale deportation. Ours is the task |
md ours the responsibility. Restrict the
number and tend a helping hand to |
hose admitted-that is the only wise |
immigration policy. We must come to
Z sooner or later and the sooner the |
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