ly, yet seven years after, he died on the deck of the Victory one of England's most famous men. William the Conqueror was forty when he was crowned king of England, and he afterward earned his title. Napoleon at forty and in the five subsequent years of his life was at the height of his career. Martin Luther was thirty-eight before the world began to hear from him in a way that changed religious history. Abraham Lincoln was forty-nine when in his discussions in his senatorial campaign the country first heard his antislavery utterances.-New York Ameri can. Recommendations of Commissioner-General of Immigration. In the report of the Commissioner-General of Immigration, Frank P. Sargent, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, the following recommendations and statistical tables are found: "While the time that has elapsed since the enactment of the new immigration law has been too brief to admit of a comprehensive criticism of its possible defects or to justify an unqualified commendation of it, yet in some respects it obviously requires immediate amendment. Thus, in section 1, so much should be stricken out as exempts transportation companies from the payment of the head tax on aliens in transit through this country to foreign territory. "The distinction thus made by a clerical error, I am informed-is one of small practical value to the companies bringing aliens to the United States, and has been productive of much embarrassment in administration, since an alien in transit may be one who passes immediately through, or one who delays on the way for a greater or less time. How long such delay might continue and the alien retain his character as a transit for the purpose of exemption from the head tax is a question that must produce many conflicts of opinion. It is therefore urged that the words 'upon aliens in transit through the United States nor' be stricken from section 1 of the act approved March 3, 1903. "Alien Seamen.-It has been held by the Attorney-General that neither the provisions of the law in relation to the introduction of aliens under agreement to perform labor or service of any kind in the United States, nor the laws in relation to the exclusion of Chinese persons, conflict with the bringing of Chinese sea men to the country and their subsequent landing, to be sworn before a United States shipping commissioner, to become members of the crews of American vessels. This decision, in my judgment, discloses a serious defect which demands remedial legislation in the laws referred to. Particularly does this necessity arise as to the first-mentioned laws, since it can not be assumed that Congress intended to make the provisions for the protection of American labor any less effective as regards those employed as seamen than with respect to citizens of the country engaged in other pursuits involving physical labor. "I am aware that in many instances efforts have been made to interpolate into the various laws affecting the immigration of aliens to this country, an implied exception as regards seamen, upon the apparent theory that such exception is necessary to the growth of our mercantile marine. Usually, however, the sole obstacle to securing American seamen is that it costs more than alien labor in the same line. In such case it can not reasonably be contended that our merchant marine stands in this respect upon any other or different footing from that occupied by our numerous and meritorious industries, which would equally desire the privilege of securing labor where it can be obtained at the lowest cost. "I must therefore urgently recommend the enactment of additional legislation to prevent the introduction through the ports of the United States, for service as seamen on board of vessels of American registry, of pre-engaged aliens, and of an amendment to the laws in relation to the exclusion of Chinese persons and persons of Chinese descent that will prohibit the landing of such persons temporarily, to be taken before a shipping commissioner and made members of a crew of a ship of domestic registry. "Increasing Excluded Classes.-The steadily increasing influx of aliens, now amounting approximately to 1,000,000 annually, constrains me to suggest the importance of still further enlarging the list of inadmissible aliens. It would materially diminish the risks attendant upon the amalgamation of such a large and heterogeneous mass with our own citizens to remove, as far as possible, every condition that conflicts with that end. Thus, those who are helpless from senility should be lessened by excluding all those aliens who are sixty years of age or over unless they have children resident here and able to provide for them. Those whose independence is endangered by ignorance might be kept within narrow bounds by exacting of all above a certain age evidence of at least a primary mental training. "For the same purpose, moral perverts might be excluded by requiring some evidence of their reputation for honesty and industry from the authorities in their own countries, while those in any way physically disabled, as well by noncommunicable as by communicable disease, or by bodily deformity, accidental or congenital, should be denied admission, as they would become probable burdens upon this country. Such a course would deprive foreign communities of the interest they now have to encourage the departure to this country of those members whose continued residence therein constitutes a menace to the common peace, good order, health and prosperity. "Detail of Medical Officers. I deem it a matter of importance that provisions should be made for the detail of competent medical officers, representing the Government, for service at foreign ports, to examine aliens prior to embarkation for the United States. The practical wisdom of such a policy from a sanitary point of view must be obvious. Such officers would not in any degree be biased, as physicians employed by the transportation lines might naturally be, by pecuniary interests to pass doubtful cases. a result, the risk of introducing disease through the exposure of healthy aliens on board would be obviated, the distress incident to the return of diseased aliens avoided, and the transportation lines be protected from the danger of being fined under the provisions of section 9 of the act of March 3, 1903. As "Naturalization. During the year there has been introduced, and now is in successful operation, a card index system, by means of which such an accurate and accessible record is kept at every port of arrival that at any subsequent time the name, date of arrival, and other particulars in regard to every alien entering the United States can be readily ascertained. One of the frequently recurring experiences of inspection officers is the fraudulent claim to citizenship made by aliens to escape inspection, and possible rejection, to which they would otherwise be subjected. Some of these aliens present the naturalization papers of others, but more of them show certificates obtained from the courts by palpable deceit. If deprived of such fraudulently obtained evidence of their immunity from the provisions of the immigration laws, they can easily, by the means aireɛdy used successfully, secure a reissue from the court originally granting them naturalization, or obtain new certificates from other courts. "As a means of preventing violations of the immigration laws in the manner indicated, I recommend the enactment of legislation restricting the authority of the courts, State and Federal, to grant naturalization to aliens, to those who can prove their residence in this country for the statutory period by duly authenticated copies of their record kept in the abovementioned card index. Such legislațion will be productive of other obvious benefits, to which it is not incumbent upon me, in this connection, to do more than refer. "Building at San Francisco.-At the port of San Francisco a building should be erected for the accommodation of aliens, pending a decision as to their right to enter the United States. Such a structure is of special importance at that port, as it is the chief port of entry for Chinese, and because, moreover, through it enter chiefly oriental peoples, who are the principal mediums for the introduction of dangerous communicable diseases. I recommend, accordingly, an appropriation of $200,000 for the erection at said port, preferably on Government land in the harbor separate from the mainland, of buildings for the accommodation of aliens, for their safe detention until shown to be entitled to land, and to prevent communication with them by persons who find their interest in landing aliens unlawfully. "It is deemed important, moreover, that provision be made for the collection of data showing the number of aliens annually departing from the United States, both to prevent extravagant estimates of the number of aliens resident in this country and to secure some fairly correct knowledge of the net increase of our population from immigration. "Distribution of Admitted Aliens.-By far the most important recommendation I have to make, however, is for legislation directed to the distribution of those aliens who are admitted. The menace to our security and good order comes not so much from the number of aliens introduced as constituent elements of our population, nor even so much from their individual deficiencies, however serious, as from their congregation in alien colonies, usually in our great cities, where the com petition for the means of subsistence is most strenuous, the contrasts between wealth and poverty most conspicuous and most productive of discontent and resentment against such inequalities and the civilization which makes such contrasts possible, and where temptations to vice are most numerous. "These colonies, thus unfortunately located, continue alien in language, thought and feeling. Their members not only pursue nonproductive or but slightly productive occupations, or else lower the scale of decent existence by lending themselves to foster the avarice of 'sweat-shop' owners, but deprive the employers of labor throughout the country of much needed assistance that would bring good pay to the laborer, profit to the employer, and benefit to the country at large. The matured crops of the West and South may be lost for lack of harvesters, while the street organs, push carts and sweat-shops of the cities are insufficient to accommodate their alien followers. While suffering, and envy of the rich in the cities are educating anarchists, opportunities for making homes are going to waste elsewhere. "I know of nothing more important at this time for the consideration of Congress than legislation to break up these alien colonies, to distribute their members where they can find needed and useful employment and supply equally useful labor. There is no specific against radical views and lawless tendencies equal to profitable employment and the possession of a home. "I therefore urgently recommend that legislation be enacted, accompanied by sufficient appropriations for the erection of buildings at the various ports of entry, with a view to the dissemination among arriving aliens by Government or State officers of information that will enable them to locate at those places in this country where their labor is required and where they can have the best opportunities of making homes for themselves and their children. "Chinese Exclusion Laws.-As regards the Chinese exclusion laws I have to recommend that the same right of appeal from the decision of the United States courts now granted to Chinese persons tried upon the charge of being unlawfully in this country be given to the Government in such cases; that Chinese merchants be required to file with administrative officers full lists of the members of their firms, the amount invested by each member, and the date when each became a partner, as well as a prompt notification to said officers of any changes in the membership or business of their firms, and that Chinese inspectors be attached to the foreign consulates to make the examination required by section 6 of the act of July 5, 1884, of the claims of members of the various classes exempted from the exclusion policy by the treaty of December 8, 1894. It is also urged that Chinese persons arrested for being unlawfully in this country should not be re leased on bail. The contrary practice by the courts has resulted in many violations of law, and the Chinaman so arrested can easily produce the evidence of his he can in as many months. right of residence within a few hours as "I have also to recommend that, in emergencies, I may be permitted to detail for duty at the Bureau at Washington, temporarily, as many at one time as two experienced field officers or clerks of the Immigration Service. The lack of such authority has seriously interfered with the prompt discharge of the rapidly increasing business of the Bureau. "The foregoing recommendations are made and such reasons are adduced to support them as seemed possible without repeating in its entirety the report made to the Secretary of the Treasury. Your attention is therefore requested to that report as supplying the complete data to show the necessity for adopting the legislation urged." |