The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-19
IRRIGATION PROBLEMS.

! Among the many far-r6acnlng e.
fects of the present European war
4 the influence exerted on immigration
assumes prominent place. The end
/ OF the last fiscal year saw tosai
of 1,4s5,9o7 added to our population
/ from this source. TIE influx of i'm.
migration proceeded al the normal
rate until il was given a sudden check
by the declaration OF war in August,
when the average daily landing OF
) 1000 or more at Ellis Island became
barely that many q week. There
seems to be general agreement that
the cessation OF the war will see q
renewal OF the flood of immigrants
which will surpass anything hereto
fore experienced. The country is alert
to this possibility, and preparations
TO meet the expsctes increase are al
ready in evidence. The propos ed
changes in our immigration laws viii.
il enacted. enforce more rigid phyis-
cal requirements than any previous
legislation on this subject There is
no doubt that the country needs these
added safeguards. The truth of TINS
statement is forcibly illustrated By
that section Of the report OF the COM
mittee on inquiry into the department
of health, charities and Bellevue and
Allied hospitals OF New York City,
which deals with aliens in institu-
lions. The committee examined. as
far as practicable. every patient ac-
mitted to Bellevue for a period of
thirty-one days from May IS. 1919, 10
June IS. 1919, inclusive. OF the 3.454
admissions during that period. 5D5
were aliens who had been in the Unit
ed States less than FIVE years The
physicians who examined these aliens
believed that there were 1s5 OF them
suffering from diseases Gauss I'd by CON
ditions which existed prior to landing
in the United States. Among these
were ten cases of pulmonary tuhercss
losis; fifteen cases Of vanral disease.
eighty-one psychopathic cases: two
cases OF epilepsy, and two OF imbecil-
ity This mace total OF 10 patients
in one month whose admission to the
United States was contrary to the
federal immigration Law. Taking this
month as basis, the committee est
mates that in one year Bellevue hos
pital would receive 1,345 alien pa
tients whose exclusion from this eoun-
try is mandatory under existing fed
eral statutes. while the total number
OF aliens who would be patients from
causes existing prior to landing would
he 2. 252 yearly. This large number of
ply and mentally defective
aliens have succeeded in passing the
examinations at entrance primarily
because there are totally Inadequate
facilities for examining such large
number in the time allotted for the
work Now that immigration has de-
clined to 5000 week. the physicians
at Ellis Island have been able TO
make more thorough examinations.
AS result of this intensive scrutiny,
the percentage of defects noted has
increased from the former or 8 per
cent to about Z percent. The differ
ence in the results obtained, leads
The Journal OF the American Medi-
cal association to suggest the advis-
ability of urging the department of
labor to provide the increased faciit-
ties which will be absolutely neces-
sary If the physicians continue their
present thorough methods of examf-
nation when immigration resumes its
normal course