IMMIGRATION OF DISEASED ALIENS.

Prior to 1882, when the federal Government first assumed control of immigration, the movement was practically unregulated. No process of selection was exercised among the immigrants who came between 1819 and 1882, and as a result the diseased, defective, delinquent, and dependent entered the country practically at will. With the development of federal immigration laws the situation in this respect has entirely changed, and while, unfortunately, the present law, from the difficulty in securing proof, is largely ineffectual in preventing the coming of criminals and other moral delinquents, it does effectively debar paupers and the physically unsound and generally the mentally unsound. The law provides that debarred aliens must be returned at the expense of the steamship companies, and also that companies bringing diseased persons of certain classes whose condition might have been detected at ports of embarkation shall be subjected to a fine of $100 in each case. Consequently the transportation of diseased aliens has become so unprofitable that steamship companies have inaugurated at foreign ports of embarkation a medical inspection of intending emigrants similar to that made at United States ports. As a result of the foreign inspection, in an ordinary year about four times as many intending emigrants are refused transportation for medical reasons alone as are debarred here for all causes, and about ten times as many as are debarred for medical reasons only. In the fiscal year 1907, 1,285,349 aliens were admitted to the United States, and only 4,040 were debarred because of physical and mental diseases." When it is considered that the great majority of all immigrants now come from countries where trachoma and other contagious diseases are prevalent among the emigrating classes, the relatively small number of rejections at United States ports is good evidence of the effectiveness of the steamship-company inspections abroad.

It is highly desirable both for humanitarian and medical reasons that aliens who are not admissible to the United States should be turned back at foreign ports of embarkation, or better still, that they should not leave their homes for such ports only to be returned. It has been strongly urged by immigration officials and other students of the question that the embarkation at foreign ports of persons not admissible to the United States because of their physical condition would be more effectually prevented by a medical inspection by American officers at such ports. This plan was so strongly urged that this Government a few years ago made official inquiry respecting the probable attitude of European Governments toward it. At that time one or two Governments expressed a willingness to permit such an inspection by American officials; others made indefinite replies to the inquiry, while others were positively opposed. No attempt was thereafter made to further the plan. After an investigation by the Commission of the situation at all the principal ports of Europe it is clear that even were its consummation possible, such an arrangement would not materially improve conditions. As a matter of fact American medical officers, in an advisory capacity, have conducted a medical inspection of emigrants at Italian ports for the past ten years and their recommendations invariably have been respected by

a See Vol. II, p. 734.

See pp. 95 and 111.

the steamship companies. A comparison of results at United States ports, however, shows that the proportion of aliens rejected here for medical reasons was somewhat larger among persons embarking at Italian ports than among those from several other European ports where the medical inspection was made solely by physicians employed by steamship companies. This is not a reflection on the work of American surgeons at Italian ports, which is highly efficient, but rather an illustration of the impossibility of making an absolutely effective medical inspection at foreign ports of embarkation. Considering the time that elapses between embarkation at European ports and arrival in the United States and the opportunities for surreptitiously avoiding inspection which frequently exist at European ports, it is clear that no medical inspection abroad, however thorough it might be, would obviate the necessity of a rigid inspection at United States ports.

It has been suggested that some system ought to be devised by which intending emigrants could be physically examined as to their admissibility to the United States before leaving their homes for ports of embarkation. While an effective arrangement of that nature would be of great benefit to the many thousands annually who are turned back at foreign ports of embarkation, it is a matter over which our Government has no jurisdiction.

Steamship companies should be held responsible for the transportation to United States ports of physically and mentally diseased aliens. That policy has been pursued since the first federal immigration law was enacted and it has increased in effectiveness accordingly as the bringing of such aliens became more unprofitable to the companies. The present law operates to secure a reasonably careful medical inspection by steamship companies at foreign ports of embarkation, but as circumstances vary materially in different cases, the law should be amended so as to retain the present fine as a minimum but permit the imposition of a fine not exceeding $500.

IMMIGRATION OF CRIMINALS.

While control of the immigration movement so far as physical and mental defectives are concerned has reached a high degree of efficiency, no adequate means have been adopted for preventing the immigration of criminals, prostitutes, and other morally undesirable aliens. The control of the latter classes is a much more difficult matter. In spite of the stringent law, criminals or moral defectives of any class, provided they pass the medical inspection, can usually embark at European ports and enter the United States without much danger of detection. A considerable number of criminals or aliens with criminal records are debarred annually at United States ports, but this results from the vigilance of immigrant inspectors or from chance information rather than from our system of regulation.

While it does not appear from available statistics that criminality among the foreign-born increases the volume of crime in proportion to the total population, nevertheless the coming of criminals and persons of criminal tendencies constitutes one of the serious social effects of the immigration movement. The present immigration law is not adequate to prevent the immigration of criminals, nor is it sufficiently effective as regards the deportation of alien criminals who are in this country. The effective exclusion of criminals merely by

means of inspection at United States ports of entry obviously is impossible, and the movement can not be satisfactorily controlled in the absence of definite knowledge respecting the alien's criminal record in the country from which he comes.

Several years ago the Italian Government decided to assist in enforcing the provisions of our law by refusing to issue passports to criminals subject to exclusion here. Subsequently this was enacted as a part of the Italian emigration law. As passports are not demanded at our ports, the benefit of this act of comity has not been great, for though Italian criminals can not embark at Italian ports, they can and do come through the ports of other countries. No apparent attempt has been made on the part of our Government to treat this attitude on the part of the Italian Government as a basis for negotiations to secure an agreement which might have produced more practical results.

While in Italy the Commission investigated the operation of this Italian statute and found that in the main it was enforced, though in some instances acts of minor officials resulted in giving passports to criminals.

Members of the Commission found an apparent willingness on the part not only of the Italian, but of other Governments, to cooperate with us, by governmental action, in the enforcement of our immigration laws. The best place to bar alien criminals is in their own countries, and the best way is through the utilization of the police records of such countries. Aliens from countries where adequate records are kept should be admitted only upon the production of proper certificates showing an absence of convictions for excludable crimes. If this is done, the alien criminal can be largely barred. Under the immigration act of 1907 the President is authorized to send commissioners to foreign countries for the purpose of entering into agreements with such countries to prevent the evasion of the laws governing immigration to the United States. Such agreement with the principal countries from which immigration comes is the best method through which to secure the desired result.

IMMIGRATION OF THE MENTALLY DEFECTIVE.

The immigration of mentally defective aliens is reasonably well controlled under the existing immigration law. The law provides for the exclusion of insane persons, persons who have been insane within five years, and persons who have had two attacks of insanity at any time previously. Owing to the nature of mental diseases, they are not easily detected through such necessarily limited inspection as can be made at ports of arrival. When the least evidence of mental disease is exhibited by an arriving alien, such. alien invariably is held for observation until his mental condition is determined. It is entirely possible, however, that persons may exhibit no evidence of insanity and yet that they may become insane within a short time after their admission. Such cases have occurred and the matter has given rise to considerable apprehension. Until some means can be devised of informing the immigration authorities as to the previous mental history of arriving aliens, the present safeguards are practically all that can be afforded, unless all arriving See Vol. II, p. 732.

a See Vol. II, p. 743.

aliens are detained for observation as to their mental condition, a plan which is impracticable.

CONTRACT LABOR AND INDUCED AND ASSISTED IMMIGRATION.

Since 1884 aliens brought to the United States in pursuance of contracts to perform labor in this country have, with certain exceptions, been debarred by law. This provision does not apply to skilled laborers where labor of a like kind unemployed can not be found in this country. The law has been made more rigid from time to time. until under its terms almost any semblance of a contract or agreement is now sufficient to include immigrants within the contractlabor clause. Owing to the rigidity of the law and the fact that special provision is made for its enforcement there are probably at the present time relatively few actual contract laborers admitted. There are annually admitted, however, a very large number who come in response to indirect assurance that employment awaits them. In the main these assurances are contained in letters from persons already in this country who advise their relatives or friends at home that if they will come to the United States they will find work awaiting them. On the other hand, it is clear that there is a large induced immigration due to labor agents in this country who, independently or in cooperation with agents in Europe, operate practically without restriction. As a rule only unskilled laborers are induced to come to the United States by this means.

It is impossible to estimate what part of the present immigration movement to the United States is assisted to come either by friends in this country or by persons here and abroad who advance transportation contingent on the immigrants repaying the same from wages received after admission to the United States.

In earlier times a good many immigrants were enabled to come to this country through public assistance, and, in fact, it is recorded that many paupers and even criminals who had become a burden upon the public in Great Britain and some of the German States were practically deported to this country. So far as the Commission is able to learn, however, no part of the present immigration movement direct to the United States is thus publicly assisted.

THE PADRONE SYSTEM.

In the case of the earlier immigration of several southern and eastern European races to the United States the control of some individuals in this country by padrones has occurred. Under this system persons have taken advantage of their better knowledge of our language and conditions to control the labor of the new immigrants of the same race. The system was somewhat prevalent in the case of the earlier Italian immigrants and in such case the padrones controlled the labor of their fellow-countrymen in construction and other work. Later a good many Syrian peddlers were controlled by padrones who furnished them with stocks in trade and profited unduly by their labor. With the development of immigration of any such race, however, and the establishment of such races as factors in the population of the country, the padrone system has substantially disappeared. At the present time practically the only aliens under the control of padrones in any considerable numbers are the Greek boys employed in shoe-shining establishments or in peddling

flowers, fruit, or vegetables in the larger cities. This evil became so prevalent that when the immigration law of 1907 was enacted the following were included in the debarred classes:

All children under 16 years of age unaccompanied by one or both of their parents at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, or under such regulations as he may from time to time prescribe.

Under this provision the importation of boys by padrones has been curtailed and the Bureau of Immigration makes persistent and continual efforts to stamp out the evil. While this condition in the case of the Greeks may continue for some time, it seems altogether probable that as persons of that race progress in the United States the influence of the padrones will largely disappear, as has been the case with other European races.

IMPORTATION OF ALIENS FOR IMMORAL PURPOSES.

The Commission's investigation of the importation of women for immoral purposes, commonly known as the "white slave traffic," disclosed the fact that this business is regularly carried on between some European countries and the United States. There is a considerable movement of prostitutes to this country, but the most serious phase of the situation is the traffic in women and girls through both male and female procurers who make a regular business of importing alien women for houses of prostitution, as well as for the large number of foreign-born pimps who control these women and live upon the proceeds of their prostitution. As a result of the work and upon the recommendation of the Immigration Commission, Congress has already passed a law that if vigorously enforced will do much to minimize the evil.

STEERAGE CONDITIONS.

While the conditions under which immigrants are transported by sea are immeasurably better than in the days of sailing vessels or even in the early days of steam navigation, bad conditions are still found in the steerage of many transatlantic ships. Agents of the Commission traveled as immigrants in the steerage of 14 ships, representing practically all the more important transatlantic lines. These agents found that some of the lines had entirely abolished the proverbial steerage and substituted so-called third-class accommodations which were in every way comfortable and satisfactory, while on the ships of some lines the old-time steerage still prevailed. These bad conditions are at the present time entirely avoidable; and as the conditions under which immigrants are brought to the United States and the treatment they receive on shipboard are matters of concern to this country, not only from a humanitarian but from a practical standpoint, measures should be taken to insure the improvement of the immigrants' accommodations, where such improvement is needed.

IMMIGRANT HOMES AND AID SOCIETIES.

There have been established at a number of our important ports societies which, with the permission of the immigration authorities, send representatives to meet incoming aliens whose friends and relatives fail to call for them. In case these immigrants need advice or a

a See Vol. II, pp. 744-747.