Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-03-29

NATURALIZATION COURT HERE

soldiers vary commendable object that the Perth Amboy Repub-
D. Ni so gub has in view in endeavoring to have sessions of the NATURAL
IN IN sma court held in this city. 1t is something that has long been de
a %aa and several attempts have already been made to accomplish TINS
ienrpose, but without avail.
As far as appealing to Judge DAILY is concerned, he has, o "
eral occasions, declared himself willing to sit here for the purpose Oh
natnralizing foreigners and County Clerk Cannon, who is really in
charge of naturalization work in this county, has made repeated u
tempts to get the Bureau of Naturalization at Washington to permit
the court to sit here, but the federal authorities have refused the re-
quest.
As recently as last August, when war activities were at thef
height, Mr.. Cannon wrote to the commissioner of naturalization at
Washington. in relation to holding naturalization court IN Perth Am
boy He argued that a committee of manufacturers who were inter
ested in war work, had requested that the court sit here as it would
be a great saving of time and saving Of man power IN their dustfie
at a time when man power was most needed to be conserved and that
it would encourage many of their employees to become citizens, If the
court were brought here SO as to facilitate the granting OF the papers
The commissioner of naturalization replied that the request had
been carefully considered; that it was not an unusual one IS 1t had
been made before in other places. 'But," the letter went on tt say
"there is 10 sanction in law for such practice, and, in fact, it is one
which the courts have declined, in constituting the law, to permit"
Continuing the letter said:
"The bureau well realizes the difficulties which must be experl
enced by an alien in seeking the grace of citizenship, but at no time IN
the history of this country has citizenship been of more value and to be
more safeguarded.
..The bureau can see no objection to your accepting petitions in
the evening at your Office in New Brunswick. This, it IS believed,
would to a large extent do away with the necessity for the applicants
losing time from the respective plants in which they are employed"
This was the result of the last attempt, made only last summer to
have naturalization court held here. T. is not very encouraging. How
ever. the aim Of the Republican Club is a good one and there is no rea-
son why the agitation should not be kept up until the desired object Is
attained.
The precedent of holding naturalization court nowhere but IN the
county buildings at the county seat has been broken by the judges OF
The different counties going to the various army cantonements and
making citizens by the wholesale out of the foreigners wearing the
uniform of Uncle Sam. Whether or not the fact that these were sol
,irrs and it was strictly a government matter would make and differ
ence, is something to be determined.
1t would do no harm to once more appeal to the naturalization an-
thorities at Washington in this matter calling attention to the situa-
ton as it exists here, especially as Americanization work is being taken
up on such an extensive scale. Perhaps Senator Frelnghuysen and
Congressman Sculy can bring some influence to bear.
At any rate it is evident that the place for making the appeal is
al Washington and not at New Brunswick. Once the commissioner of
naturalization consents there will not be the slightest difficulty in get
ting Judge DAILY and County Clerk Cannon to do their part in holding
sessions of the naturalization court in this city.