The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-02-07
U. S. OFFICIAL
MARTINETS
Complains Bitterly of
Harsh Treatment Accorded Aliens
Attempting to Enter the United
States by Government Inspectors.
PASSAGE MONEY CONFIsCATED.
Aggrieved Parties Were Not Undes-
irables, But Were Wealthy and
Highly Respected Citizens of the
Dominion of Canada.

scribers at Omemee sends us the fol-
lowing communication, which recent
" appeared in the Montreal Star, to-
gether with a request for it's publ
cation in our columns. The facts as
set forth in the article shows a most
humiliation situation on the Canadian
border, as experienced by the people
mentioned in the article, as it has un-
doubtedly been by others under SIM
liar circumstances. The. fault no
doubt lies with the departmental reg
ulations as construed by over-zealous,
and often times overofficious local Of
ficials, and if the government was not
fully occupied in other directions just
now the abuse would undoubtedly be
promptly remedied if called to the at
tention Of the proper authorities at
Washington.
81 am at loss to know why the
United States Government put head
tax on Canadians entering the U. S.
/ understand this tax only applies to
the working class; the rich can go
and come at pleasure, no head tax
being demanded Of them, The Brit
ish, nor any of the Continental Euro
pean nations (before the wary put a
head tax on working people entering
their respective countries-at least /
never heard of such a thing, and yet
the United States, which boasts Of
being the leading nation in democracy
and freedom, put head tax on Can
adams, and thereby put them in about
the same category as the Chinese.
MY son and daughter left here on
the 10th Of December to visit their
birthplace in the Southern states.
They bought their tickets to Kansas
City and return, good for three
months, and had passports duly made
out in compliance with the law. When
they got to Winnipeg the U. S. offic-
ials demanded $500 from each, which
they paid. They were also subjected
to rigid examination re their finan-
cial and genealogical affairs. Al
though nothing could be found irreg-
ular, they were refused admission to
the land Of their birth, and had to
return home. Their head tax money
was refunded, but their railroad fare
from Winnipeg to- Kansas City has
not been returned to them.
Ny family is not German, nor pro-
German but descendant of decent
people from the loyal city of Belfast,
Ireland. And we gave our united
support to the Union Government in
it's late election. Why are respectable
citizens Of Canada treated to such in
dignity by an Allied nation Of our own
blood and lineage?
j have other married children in
Arkansas and Oklahoma, and my son
and daughter were. going to visit
them. My son, not being in the best
Of health, wanted to recuperate in
order to be stronger for his farm work
in the spring. Besides this boy and
girl are well provided for, having
good farms and homes in Canada,
and have also several thousand dol
lars invested in Victory bonds and
other forms Of Canadian Government
securities, but, Of course, did not
think it incumbent upon them to ped
die that information before the y. 8.
officials. They were compelled to put
down what money they carried with
them for these officials to count.
-ad sufficient along and had
made arrangements to send them
money when necessary.
And VI theses Liberty loving
Yankees turned them back ~ nm
de1irahle alie 70 liberty, WHIST
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