New-York tribune., 1920-08-18
Big Shake-Up il,
US. Immigrant
Office Ordered
Assistant Secretary Post of
Labor Department Issues
instruction for Complete
Reorganization of Bureau
Caminetti Was Warned
Investigation Discloses
Cutter Disorganization'';
N. Y. TO Get Bigger Force

WASHINGTON, Aug 17.--Reorgani-
ordered to-day by Assistant Secretary
Post, Of the Labor Department, follow
ing an Investigation said to have DIS
closed conditions indicating utter dis
organization" Of the service. The rhake-
up, it was said at the department, in
cluded not only the Office here of Com
missioner General Caminetti, but also
the coastal stations and the field service.
Labor Department officials said the
conditions which led to investigation
Of the bureau were Of long standing.
The situation was called to the atten-
ton of Mr.. Caminetti, both by Secre-
tary Wilson and the solicitor of the
Labor Department, before wnom had
been presented instances which they
believed showed the disoreanized state
Of the service.
Mr.. Post conferred to-day with Com
missioner Wallis, of the Ellis Island
station, regarding the situation there,
due TO shortage of personnel to hand Q
the increasing tide Of immigration. 1t
was indicated that the force would be
increased soon to a point approaching
its size before the war
"Congress made ample appropria-
tions for the handling Of Anarchists,
but for nothing else that the immigra-
ton service must do" said Mr.. Post.
"In the Bureau Of immigration at Ellis
Island and here the service has become
disorganized and is inetficientlv oper-
a.ted because Of the lack of adequate
personnel. Many of the SIX led en-
ployees have left the government serv-
ice because of insufficient pay and be-
cause of the failure of Congress TO
adequately provide funds to continue
the service in operation a complete re-
adjustment is required.
"Ellis Island is nothing less than a
disgrace. With the increase in the ar
rival Of aliens coming by the thou
sands upon thousands, with no force
to handle them, some means were re-
quired to remedy the service. For that
purpose | have appointed a committee
from the Office Of the Commissioner
General, the solicitors Office and from
my own Office to recommend changes to
be made in the readjustment and ref
ormation of the bureau"
First steps in the reorganization were
taken BY Mr.. Post on July 81, when
Commissioner Caminetti was shorn Of
the authority which he had exercised
for some time past of making recon-
mendations in appeal ami warrant cases
passing through his hands. The de-
partment contended that only the Sec
retary Of Labor and the assistant sec
retary were empowered by law to ex-
ercise judgment in such cases.
On August Ii a memorandum was
prepared by Secretary Post inquiring
into the "causes of and remedies Tor
the disorganized conditions in the
Bureau Of immigration and its conse-
quent ineffciency." Certain "undesir-
able conditions prevailing in the bu-
reau were ordered remedied imme-
dlately. These included "the excessive
freedom OF access to the immigration
bureau during working hours OF per-
sons net oiIicially connected with the
bureau"
1o insure the removal Of these "un-
desirable" conditions, an advisory com
mittce was appointed. 1t included Al
fred Hampton, of the Bureau of Immi-
grafton; II. B. Collins, of the Solicitors
department. and Hugh Reid, from the
office of the Assistant Secretary of
Labor