The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-02-04
IMMIGRATION SERVICE ON CANA
DIAN BORDER

DlRN BORDER
A lack of funds with which to Worl
resulted in a decentralization of oul
Canadian border immigration service
The war was directly responsible fol
heavy influx from Canada, some
coming to escape war service, others
being subjects of governments at wal
with Great Britain fleeing from Brit
ish soil, many others driven out OF
Canada because of the cessation OF
nearly all construction and other in
dustrial projects in the Dominion.
Inspectors were OYerWorked, some
were furloughed, others withdrawn
from the district, at time when ev
cry available man should have been
kept at work. Smuggling of Chinese
grew to large proportions, the un
patrolled waters of Puget Sound and
lax inspection on the border rendering
the practice profitable and compare.
lively safe.
After months of study of the situa.
ton l prepared an exhaustive brief
covering immigration and industrial
conditions generally and forwarded
the same to William B. Wilson, Sec
retary of Labor at Washington, D. C.
| received in reply the following let
ter from Secretary Wilson;
"Your letter of November 5th reach
ed me in due course. Its contents
have been most carefully considered,
and | wish at the outset of this ac-
acknowledgement thereof to express my
appreciation Of its tone as well as of
the several suggestions therein con-
tanned which I believe will be of con-
siderable aid to the Department of
Labor and the Bureau of Immigra-
ton
CAS- you are aware, Mr. John B.
Densmore, the Solicitor for this De-
partment and also frequently Acting
Secretary of Labor, is now in the
Northwest, where he will be Joined
by Mr., Caminetti, the Commissioner
General of immigration, and Mr.. Jas
L. Hughes, the Assistant Commission
er of immigration at Philadelphia, the
said three gentlemen constituting
commission appointed by me to in
tn nd
submitted by various Seattle and 9th
er concerns for the termination of the
agreement between the Bureau of
and the Canadian Pacific
Railway and Steamship Company, un-
der which Vancouver is a port of en-
try for Chinese, and the transfer to
Seattle of all the Chinese business
now handled through Vancouver.
While these gentlemen have not been
specifically instructed to make any
of the general subject
of immigration law enforcement in
the Washington district or on the
Canadian boundary in the Northwest,
| suppose that in the course of their
inquiries they will necessarily learn
with respect to such sub
ject | am therefore forwarding your
letter to Mr.. Densmore with the re-
quest that the commission give its
contents careful consideration in con-
nection with any other material which
they may incidentally develop bear
ing upon the several propositions dis
cussed by you. in this way the con-
tents of your letter will be brought
to the attention not only of Mr.. Dens-
more but of the other two members
of the commission
81 might state at this time that the
has perfected arrange
ments for furnishing patrol boat for
service in Puget Sound, and it is hop
ed that such boat will prove of great
aid to the officers in that vicinity in
the breaking up of Chinese and other
and that the Department
intends to endeavor to obtain at the
forthcoming session of congress leg
islation under which it can resume
the use of automobiles in the work
of preventing smuggling
Respectfully,
"WILLIAM b. WILSON,
Secretary"