APPENDIX C.

OFFICIAL CIRCULAR OF CANADIAN SUPERINTENDENT OF

IMMIGRATION.

IN RE

EXCLUSION OF OVER-SEAS IMMIGRANTS.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, CANADA,

Ottawa, June 4, 1909.

In view of the fact that the immigration act at present in force has been amended several times, and that in accordance with its provisions its express terms have been supplemented by several orders in council, there is a possibility of misunderstanding arising between the several steamship and railway companies and the immigration department in the application of its exclusion provisions.

As a help towards avoiding such misunderstanding it seems advisable that the immigration policy of the Canadian Government and the understanding of the interior department of the exclusion provisions of the immigration act should be stated as shortly and plainly although informally as possible:

(1) Money is expended and administration is exercised with the object of securing immigrants whose purpose in life is to occupy farm lands, either as owners, tenants, or laborers.

(2) Money is voted and administration is exercised with the object of excluding those whose presence in Canada would tend to add to the congestion of our towns and cities.

Immigration effort is made in those countries which are considered most likely to furnish the people coming within the first of the two classes above specified.

No immigration effort is made in those countries which are considered likely to furnish the people coming within the second class.

The act is interpreted and its administration conducted throughout, to give effect to the above two distinct lines of policy.

Certain of the exclusion provisions of the immigration act are mandatory and apply equally to the people of every class and of every country. These are the provisions which exclude the physically, mentally, or morally unfit. Other provisions exclude for financial or other reasons not physical, mental, or moral.

These provisions exclude:

(1) Charity-aided immigrants.

(2) Europeans who have in possession less than $25 in cash besides ticket to destination, and Asiatics who have less than $200 besides ticket to destination; excepting citizens of China or Japan, in regard to whom there are special arrangements. (Chinese must pay $500 head tax; Japanese must have in possession $25 cash and a passport.)

(3) Immigrants who do not come by continuous passage from, and on ticket purchased in, the country of their birth or citizenship.

Provision is made for relaxing the first of these causes of exclusion in the case of persons who have been inspected and approved before sailing by the assistant superintendent of immigration for Canada in England. No other relaxation will be made.

In regard to the second, provision is made for relaxation (a) in the case of persons going to friends permanently resident in Canada, who are capable of supporting them, and (b) in the case of those going to assured employment.

The relaxation in the case of persons going to friends only applies to persons ordinarily dependent on such friends; that is, wife or children going to husband or father; brother or sister going to brother, minors going to married or independent sisters, or parents going to children capable of supporting them.

The provision as to relaxation of the money qualification, because going to assured employment, is dealt with as follows:

(a) Immigrants from countries, other than those in which immigration effort is being made by Canada, can not be assumed by the immigration officials to be going to assured employment, and therefore each individual will be required to produce the amount of money the regulations call for.

(b) In view of the difficulties encountered by non-English speaking immigrants in securing employment, even though coming from the countries in which immigration effort is being made (in case of their not having the money required and ticket to destination), the agent must be satisfied by evidence which he must record that such immigrant is going to assured employment at farm work. (The over-sea countries in which immigration effort is made are: Great Britain and Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.)

(c) In case of English-speaking immigrants while the steamship companies must be prepared at all times for a strict enforcement of the money requirement, the agent may, in case the immigrant is otherwise desirable, accept a reasonable assurance that he will find employment, provided such employment is at farm work.

Regarding the third cause for exclusion: All immigrants who are unable to satisfy the agent either that they have independent means of support or that they are suited to farm work and intend to engage in it, are liable to be excluded under the indirect passage provision.

The officials of the Immigration Department at ocean ports are being instructed that they will be held strictly to account for the enforcement of the act in accordance with the foregoing statement of its terms.

It is the desire of the immigration department of Canada to have the most friendly relations with the booking agents of the United Kingdom. With a view to preventing misunderstanding it is deemed desirable to set forth in plain terms the purpose of the government of Canada in pursuing an active immigration policy and the reasons governing it in the conduct of that policy.

The bonus to booking agents of £1 on adults and 10 shillings on children between 1 and 18 is given to make it worth while for the booking agents to use his best exertions in securing for Canada the particular classes of people upon whom the bonus is paid.

In a country with a population of nearly fifty millions, such as the United Kingdom, which has no new territory for occupation, there must necessarily be a large yearly increase of population, which must either find an outlet or add to the congestion of the great cities. Every year there is a very large movement of people from the United Kingdom to North America. For a long time the larger part of this yearly movement went to the United States and a very small part to Canada. That which went to the United States was lost to the Empire; the part which went to Canada aided in building up the Empire.

It is not the expectation of the government of Canada to increase unduly the outflow of people from the United Kingdom, but it is its desire to turn to the benefit of the Empire in Canada a greater proportion of the natural and necessary annual outflow from the mother country.

The Canadian government in confining the bonus to emigrants of certain callings has selected those callings which may fairly be expected to fit people for the opportunities existing in Canada. By making special exertions to secure these classes for Canada, the booking agents will be doing their best for the emigrants themselves, for Canada, and for the Empire.

It is believed that, although the classes particularly desired by Canada might find a field for employment at home, the removal each year of some part of the natural increase there will leave room and opportunity for others who would, under other circumstances, be crowded out of these advantages.

The classes of people on whom bonus is paid by the Canadian government are expected, by reason of their experience at home, to find scope for their abilities in the occupation of the vacant lands of Canada, in employment upon the lands now occupied and cultivated, or in the railway development now in progress. And while it is not asserted that people of other callings or conditions of life should not come to Canada, or may not find a career open to them in this country, it is desired to have it well understood that the government of Canada assumes no responsibility with respect to any other immigration than that of the classes mentioned as eligible for bonus payment. It is not asserted that the farmer or farm laborer is necessarily a more desirable citizen than any other, but it is a simple fact that the demand in Canada is for people to occupy the as yet vacant lands of the country, to aid in the cultivation of those already occupied, and also to assist in providing additional transportation facilities. This it is which justifies the government in assuming the expense of immigration effort. To go beyond the attempt to meet these requirements would be to use the money of certain classes of Canadian taxpayers for the purpose of securing competitors against them in their several callings, for which they would naturally hold the government to account.

For these reasons booking agents will be good enough to understand that the present large bonus is only offered to secure the fullest compliance with its conditions, and they must expect the officials of the immigration branch to look strictly into every bonus claim made, not as showing any lack of faith in the booking agents or as discriminating against any class of people, but simply as a matter of business to make sure that money is not being paid except on the due fulfillment of conditions that have the sanction of all classes of the Canadian people, who, in fact, are paying the money.

In the circular of March 20 bonus was restricted to persons of certain classes was required that the person eligible by reason of his calling should be then employed in that calling and had been so employed for at least one year. This condition is altered in the new circular forwarded herewith so that the requirement is now that the person shall have been in such employment for at least one year, without special regard as to when that was, and the list of questions to be answered by the emigrant when applying for ticket has been altered accordingly.

In the circular of March 20 bonus was restricted to persons of certain classes therein mentioned, who signified their intention of following farming in Canada. This provision has been amended by adding "or railway construction work,” so that whether the immediate intention is that of following farming or securing employment in railway construction work the person is eligible for bonus.

These changes enlarge the number of people upon whom bonus may properly be paid, but as they enlarge the number and to that degree are to the advantage of the booking agent, so the officials of the department may be expected to hold more closely to the express terms of the circular issued and to the intent which its terms express.

It is important that the provisions of the Canadian immigration act of last session, prohibiting the landing in Canada of certain classes of people, should be carefully studied (copy herewith), so that the booking agent will understand thoroughly that for his own credit and the advantage of his business he will not book people of these classes. They are liable to be returned to the place from whence they came at the expense of the steamship company. This liability exists for two years after their landing in Canada. It will be noticed that the following classes of people are prohibited from landing and are subject to deportation within two years: Feeble-minded, idiotic, insane, or who have been insane within five years, afflicted with any loathsome, contagious, or infectious disease; anyone who is a pauper, who is destitute, who is a professional beggar or vagrant, or who is likely to become a public charge; any prostitute or person who lives by the proceeds of prostitution, or any convicted criminal. Persons who are deaf and dumb, blind, or infirm may be admitted if accompanied by members of the family, who will be responsible for their support and safekeeping. Unless so accompanied they are subject to deportation.

Bonuses are only payable on passengers traveling by lines which land at Canadian ports or at Portland, Me., during winter, and only on persons who are British subjects.

In the past it has been found necessary on occasion to discontinue business relations with booking agencies for various reasons, such as presentation of improper claims, booking of undesirables, the special booking of artisans under contract, and improper advertising. It is hoped that no difficulties of this kind will arise in future; but as the immigration department is a part of the public business of Canada, it is necessary that its work and connections should be kept clear of misunderstandings of every kind. The department would prefer not to have relations with any agency with which it might find itself at cross-purposes, and whose actions might subject its work to misrepresentation. In the past it has not been the practice of the department to pay bonus on first-class passengers. This has not been because such payment was contrary to the intent of the bonus system, if such passengers were of the classes listed for bonus, but because first-class passengers are not subject to inspection on arrival in Canada, and therefore the department had no means of checking the propriety of the payments. If, however, booking agents will avail themselves of the provision contained in the circular herewith, which is the same as was contained in the circular of March 20, 1906, by securing a certificate from one of the accredited agents of the department in the United Kingdom, as therein provided, the bonus will be paid, but not otherwise.

The provision for granting certificates in the United Kingdom by emigration agents to insure payment of bonus is permissive and not compulsory. If such