372 



IMMIGRATION BUREAU. 



vestigation, conducted at the home of the immi- 

 grant, with its thorough probing of hereditary 

 and local conditions, has transmitted a widely 

 diffused knowledge of the classes debarred admis- 

 sion to the United States, and the information 

 thus disseminated deters many from making a 

 fruitless attempt to come to the New World. 

 From motives of self-interest the steamship com- 

 panies exert themselves zealously to aid in the 

 enforcement of these regulations. Their ticket 

 agents are instructed to be scrupulously careful 

 in the sale of tickets, under penalty of paying 

 the price of deporting rejected persons, and their 

 zealous co-operation with the Government has 

 been further stimulated by recent enactments in 

 Italy and Sweden which g*ive the deported immi- 

 grant the right to sue for damages the company 

 that sold him his passage. 



It was -easily anticipated that immigrants, in 

 order to escape the varied obstacles of the law 

 of 1893, would seek to enter the United States 

 by way of Canada. To counteract this tendency 

 an agreement was promptly entered into with 

 the Canadian transportation companies by land 

 and water, by which it was determined that all 

 immigrants bound for the United States should 

 be landed at five ports viz., Halifax, Quebec, 

 Point Levis, St. John, and Vancouver and that 

 at these points United States inspectors should 

 be given every accommodation and facility for 

 segregating the objects of examination, on condi- 

 tion that the duty should be executed as speedily 



of the Immigration Bureau, with the title of com- 

 missioner general, and in 1896 he was sent by 

 the Secretary of the Treasury to Italy to confer 

 with the ministers of that kingdom in relation 

 to immigration. As a result of this conference 

 the Italian Prime Minister issued a proclamation 

 directing the royal prefects to refuse passports 

 to all applicants included in the classes prohibited 

 by law from entering the United States. That 

 the rules of this edict are being rigorously en- 

 forced is convincingly proved by the fact that 

 the bureau constantly receives information of the 

 conviction of ticket sellers for violation of its 

 immigration law in Italy. 



The United States maintain 38 immigrant sta- 

 tions, at the following-named ports: Ellis island, 

 New York; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Cincinnati, 

 Ohio; Rouse's Point, N. Y.; Toledo, Ohio; Buf- 

 falo, N. Y.; Ogdensburg, N. Y.; Baltimore, Md.; 

 Pittsburg, Pa.; Springfield, 111.; Port Huron, 

 Mich.; Pembina, N. Dak.; Concord, N. H.; Ta- 

 coma, Wash.; San Francisco, Cal.; Suspension 

 Bridge, New York ; Portland, Me. ; Laredo, Texas ; 

 Galveston, Texas; New Orleans, La.; Savan- 

 nah, Ga.; Boston, Mass.; Chicago, 111.; Sault Ste. 

 Marie, Mich.; El Paso, Texas; Quebec, Canada; 

 Sumas, Wash.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Eastport, Me.; 

 Cleveland, Ohio; Burlington, Vt.; Key West, Fla.; 

 Norfolk, Va. ; Detroit, Mich.; Vanceboro, Me.; 

 West Superior, Wis.; Newport, Vt.; Eagle Pass, 

 Texas. 



There are 5 immigration commissioners, sta- 



THE NEW IMMIGRANT STATION, ELLIS ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR. 



as possible and a passport be given to each ad- 

 mitted immigrant identifying him and enabling 

 him to cross the Canadian frontier. To defray 

 these expenses the Canadian transportation com- 

 panies pay to the United States $1 for every im- 

 migrant landed whose destination is the United 

 States. 



As a result of its vigorous policy, the Immi- 

 gration Bureau receives indirect assistance from 

 the German Empire, since the population of many 

 countries in the interior of Europe are obliged 

 to cross this empire in order to reach a seaport, 

 and those immigrants who are rejected by the 

 American officials are liable to become burdens 

 upon the charity of German institutions for the 

 poor. To defend these asylums from being 

 crowded with paupers of other countries, the 

 German minister promulgated an order on Oct. 

 8, 1893, directing the police on the frontiers of 

 the empire to challenge all emigrants on their 

 way to the seaboard, subject them to examina- 

 tion, and refuse to allow those to proceed who 

 are likely to be rejected by the American authori- 

 ties. In 1893 Herman Stump was placed in charge 



tioned respectively at New York, Boston, Phila- 

 delphia, Baltimore, and San Francisco. The num- 

 ber of inspectors employed depends upon the 

 size and importance of the port. The finest im- 

 migrant station in the United States (and in the 

 world) was the one maintained for the port of 

 New York at Ellis island, which was destroyed 

 by fire in June, 1897. Since the great wave of 

 foreign elements breaks principally upon the 

 wharf of New York city, as many as 25 inspectors 

 are employed for this port during the busy season. 

 The selection of Ellis island as the site, for the 

 immigrant station of New York was made soon 

 after Col. Weber assumed charge at Castle Gar- 

 den, when it was found necessary to have a more 

 secluded spot for the proper management of ap- 

 plicants for admission to the country. Improve- 

 ments upon the island were begun at once, and 

 its size was doubled by means of piling and fill- 

 ing until its area was 5 acres. Then a fine plant 

 gradually rose, nearly a million dollars being ex- 

 pended in its construction and equipment. It 

 was first occupied in January, 1891, but addi- 

 tions and improvements were made continually, 



