There was some difficulty encountered in the use of the reading cards containing quotations from the Bible, as it appeared to be very hard for the applicant to explain to the interpreter what he had read. It is suggested that cards printed in everyday language would be more desirable. Some of the Japanese cards are also quite ambigu ous and the printing indistinct especially in the Katakana and Hirakana style of printing.

The great majority of immigrants arriving at this port are Japanese and the illiterates are without exception found among those advanced in years, all the younger element being able to read.

There has been but little difficulty in enforcing the law generally. Some of the Japanese sending for their illiterate wives have had some trouble in showing a legal admission, owing largely to incomplete immigration records prior to 1907.

Concerning the illiteracy test provision of the law on the Canadian border the following comment is made. It is not expected, of course, that every alien crossing the Canadian boundary shall actually demonstrate his ability to pass such test. Many of our immigrants are highly educated people and requiring professional men, for instance to read a test card would border on the ridiculous. It has been found, however, that it is not safe to assume that every well-dressed, intelligent-appearing person can read. In several instances where the test was regarded as a mere formality the inspector was astonished to find that the alien was unable to pass the same. Application of the test in Canadian border work demands tact and good judgment to the end that educated people shall not feel themselves insulted by having their ability to read questioned nor illiterates be allowed entry on their mere claim of being able to read. It is believed however, that good judgment is being used by the average inspector and that the law is being satisfactorily enforced.

PERSONNEL.

The personnel of the Immigration Service in this district is in the main good. There are a few officers who are too old to do effective work. These men should be retired in some manner so as to protect the service and at the same time do justice to the men concerned. There are a few officers who are below par, but their work is not sufficiently flagrant at the present time to warrant the filing of charges; but as a whole the personnel in this district is very good, and I believe the service is doing efficient work.

PASSPORT-PERMIT WORK.

At the 16 ports and subports of this district a total of 5,292 cases of all classes was handled; 2,760 alien permits were issued, 239 were refused, and 19 applications are pending, besides 52 which were withdrawn. One hundred and sixty-five citizens' permit cards for insular travel were issued and 976 transient aliens were examined and passed under the control regulations. In addition 226 applications of hostile aliens to enter and depart from the United States were acted upon.

INSPECTOR IN CHARGE, DISTRICT NO. 17, COMPRISING THE STATE OF OREGON, WITH HEADQUARTERS AT PORTLAND.

APPLICATIONS.

During the past fiscal year 11 alien seamen who had renounced their calling sought admission at this port as immigrants, either to work ashore or in the American merchant marine. In addition, one Japanese deserting seaman is carried in statistics as admitted. Shipping under Federal control has been diverted elsewhere, and that to this port has consequently been much reduced. No alien passengers were brought here. Partly because of these facts, we have been able to carry on our other increased duties without any addition to our force. With the coming of peace commerce will again revert to its former and natural channels. At this time plans of a very practical and promising nature are being undertaken looking to the establishment here of regular lines of vessels engaged in foreign commerce, which may mean some direct passenger business to this port, and in any event certainly promises much more maritime business for this district than we have had for a number of years.

DEPORTATIONS (EXPULSIONS).

During the fiscal year just closed this district obtained more arrest warrants (83), conducted more hearings (73), and secured more warrants of deportation (94), than during any other like period in its history; this notwithstanding the fact that this

class of business in 1918 increased fourfold over 1917, and that during all this period immigration to the United States was at its lowest ebb.

Because of favorable climatic conditions here, the Department of the Interior maintains in this district all insane patients of Alaska. By carefully scrutinizing these Federal charges and deporting those aliens amenable thereto we are saving that branch of the Government a very considerable sum of money.

We repeat our former recommendation that Congress put a penalty upon all aliens who violate the immigration laws by entering the United States after having been once rejected or deported.

Arrests have been made of a number of undesirable Mexicans imported by the various railroads under contract. Some of these were allowed to return at their own expense (traveling on railroad passes), while others that we could not trust to do so were "escorted" to the boundary, expenses for their deportations being recovered from the railroad companies. There are still a number of such imported Mexicans in this district, though it is believed that the worst of them have been apprehended and returned to Mexico.

SEAMEN.

During the year, because of war conditions, foreign shipping shrank to unprecedented degree, but 20 ships arriving, other than American vessels in the coastwise trade. There were almost no desertions, the only ones being three Japanese, two of whom were apprehended and expelled, one after warrant proceedings, and the other, because of lack of time, informally put aboard his vessel just before she sailed.

These few desertions are largely due, of course, to the fewer vessels coming here, as well as to the strict war-time scrutiny of all seamen, both aboard and ashore. For the first time in our annals no Chinese seaman arrived in this district. We fear the desertion of Chinese sailors, real and pretended, will be heavy during the coming year at American ports if they remain on the same shore-leave footing with white men.

FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.

The sum of $88 in head tax was collected and no fines were assessed. The allotment for the fiscal year 1919 was $3,300, and the disbursements were approximately $4,500. No fines were imposed in court cases, but one alien forfeited a $500 bond given to insure her appearance in deportation proceedings.

Last year, by the very strictest economy, we were able to return about $500 of our allotment. This fiscal year (just closed), because of the increased costs of everything, the larger number of arrests, and consequent increased detention and deportation expenses, we have incurred, despite our utmost efforts, a deficit of several hunderd dollars. This is a growing State, and immigration business will increase, as will the expenses of the service.

CHINESE ARRESTED BEFORE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS AND COURTS,

Because officials' time has been full to overflowing with other more dangerous and objectionable violators of law than contraband Chinese, only one arrest under the exclusion law has occurred. But few Chinese have entered this district (and those have come first through California or Washington) during the last 12 months, but now that the war is ended those contrabands who decamped into Canada owing to the embarrassment confronting them because of the draft law are beginning to surreptitiously retrace their footsteps into this country. Unless the law affecting Chinese seamen is amended, an increased number of unlawful entries through that loophole is foreseen.

CRIMINAL CASES.

One Italian was arrested for perjury committed recently in connection with the filing of affidavits (Form 547) in behalf of two girls destined to this country. He was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment but later this was reduced, upon recommendation of the United States attorney, to five months, as the man has a sick wife and family here, and as his motive seemed obscure. Considerable publicity has been given to this affair and it will have a salutary effect locally.

This office also caused to be arrested a local Chinese merchant of prominence on the charge of conspiracy to violate the exclusion law, in that he had fraudulently claimed as a merchant and member of his firm a Chinese who was in fact a laborer. The pseudo merchant had departed for China, where he will doubtless remain. The Federal grand jury for some reason was reluctant to punish the merchant here unless it also could reach the one who had gone to China, and, as a result, did not indict either. The mere

arrest, however, because of the prominence of the Chinaman, has had a good “influence" in Chinatown.

WRITS OF HABEAS CORPUS.

Four writs have been sued out during the year, 3 relating to Chinese of the immoral class (1 procurer and 2 prostitutes) and 1 to a prominent leader of the I. W. W. In the first 3 cases various points of an ultra-technical kind were raised. In the last case it was alleged that there was no evidence upon which the department could have properly based its decision, and also that the record of the bureau contained extraneous and improper matter which the petitioner had never had opportunity to meet and answer. This service has prevailed in all these cases, though decision in the last mentioned case was not rendered until after June 30, 1919.

WHITE-SLAVE MATTERS.

Violations of the Mann Act come within the province of the special agents of the Department of Justice with whom we cooperate whenever aliens are concerned. In this district we have continued to arrest alien panderers, and operators of cheap lodging houses who have permitted prostitution to be covertly practiced therein. Our success in these apprehensions and the uniform support of the bureau and department has been gratifying, not only to this office but also to the community.

CONTRACT LABOR.

No section-24 men have visited us during the past year, nor have any flagrant violations of the contract labor laws come to our notice. A few isolated violations or attempted violations have been uncovered, and appropriate steps taken in each instance. Two Canadians who entered under contract were arrested and deported, all expenditures incident thereto being borne by the importers, which in one instance included expenses of deporting officer, attending physician, and alien. These cases, lacking the element of bad intent, did not seem to warrant further action against the importers.

As already set forth under the section dealing with deportations, the service arrested and deported a number of Mexican contract laborers who left the employment for which they were specifically admitted, and part of whom, in one way or another, had come into contact with the local police. The deportations were made at the expense of the importing railroads.

SMUGGLING OPERATIONS.

At this time there is no direct smuggling into this district, though undoubtedly certain aliens who are smuggled across our northern boundary find their way to friends and relatives here, as do a lesser number who enter from Mexico.

CHINESE PREINVESTIGATION MATTERS.

The total of preinvestigation cases handled was 49. Return certificates were granted to 8 merchants, 12 natives, 17 laborers, 1 student, and 1 merchant's son. Five applications for such certificates were withdrawn and 3 cases are still pending before this office. Forty-one Chinese residents of this district, most of them laborers, departed to remain permanently in China.

INVESTIGATIONS.

A total of 769 investigations in immigration cases and 128 in Chinese matters were conducted in the past year.

PERSONNEL.

The officers and employees in this district have carried on an increased amount of general business without addition to the force. This has been possible only by constant application to the work. Cessation of war activities promises no lessening of the work in this district, for with peace will come a renewal of suspended commerce and shipping to Oregon, resumed Chinese travel, increased deportations and regular ımmigration business, and perhaps regular steamship lines plying to our ports.

PASSPORT-PERMIT WORK.

Alien permits to depart numbering 727 were granted by this office, 63 were refused, and 12 applications for permits were withdrawn. Forty-three American citizens, 38 native born, and 5 naturalized were given identity cards for insular travel.

The total number of applications of all classes considered during the part of the year in which the passport regulations were in force was 845.

INSPECTOR IN CHARGE, DISTRICT NO. 22, COMPRISING TERRITORY OF HAWAII, WITH HEADQUARTERS AT HONOLULU.

APPLICATIONS.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, there were examined at the port of Honolulu 4,232 alien applicants for entry. Of these, 4,101 were admitted and 135 rejected and deported.

Of those applying for admission 261 were Chinese and 3,491 were Japanese.

A total of 993 certificates were issued to aliens leaving Hawaii to reside in continental United States, 274 of whom were Spanish and 210 Portuguese.

While the immigration has been somewhat smaller this year owing to the lack of ships and war regulations, yet the work involved in the handling of aliens has been larger and more exacting than under prewar conditions. The care demanded by the situation which has confronted us has been given by our inspectors as well as by the surgeons of the United States Public Health Service, and we have availed ourselves of, and have had, the cordial and heartfelt cooperation of the officers of the Army and Navy intelligence departments, who were especially concerned in these matters.

The Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association has brought in during the year 2,847 Filipinos, of whom 2,493 were males and 354 females. There were 718 departures for the Orient, showing a smaller percentage of departing Filipinos than there was last year.

The bulk of the immigration, as heretofore, has been largely Japanese.

During the year there has been an acute shortage of labor owing to the fact that many men were in the Army, and this has been in a measure met by the importation of Filipinos by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association. The departures of Portuguese and Spanish who were imported by the Territorial board of immigration show a large decrease, due not only to the fact that the bulk of them had already gone to the mainland but also to the conditions that have prevailed in regard to shipping. Large numbers of these people have come into the city and endeavored to secure passage for San Francisco, but owing to the shortage of shipping were not able to do 80. After remaining in this city until their means were spent many of them returned to the plantations, and we presume that they will resume their efforts to depart when ample facilities become available.

DEPORTATIONS (EXPULSIONS, INCLUDING CHINESE).

This office handled 18 warrant cases, 8 involving Chinese aliens, and 4 Japanese. Thirteen warrants of deportation have been executed.

SEAMEN.

Sixty-five alien seamen were admitted to reship foreign, and 1,042 identity cards were issued, 435 to alien and 607 to citizen seamen. Four deserting seamen were reported, all of whom were Japanese.

Vessels boarded during the year from domestic ports numbered 450, from foreign ports 196, making a total of 646. The total number of Chinese seamen checked out by boarding officers on the arrival and departure of vessels is 9,037, the total number of Japanese seamen 13,501, the total number of Javanese seamen 975, and the total number of other alien seamen arrivals passing through this port is 14,048, making a grand total of 37,561.

STOWAWAYS.

Five stowaways arrived at this port, 3 of whom have been deported, and the cases of 2 are now on appeal to the department. Two of the stowaways were Japanese, 1 was a Russian, and 2 were English.

FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.

The sum of $28,584 was collected in head tax and $2,420 in administrative fines. No fines were collected in court cases during the year. The allotment for this district was $6,200, and the total disbursements were $6,070.

CHINESE ARRESTED BEFORE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS AND COURTS.

There were no new arrest cases under the exclusion laws this year, but 1 case which was pending on July 1, 1918, has been closed and the deportation of the alien accomplished.

CRIMINAL CASES.

Two aliens were prosecuted under the white-slave act, both of whom were sentenced to imprisonment.

WRITS OF HABEAS CORPUS.

Nineteen habeas corpus cases were pending from last year, and 3 writs were applied for in new cases arising during the year 1919. Seventeen cases of this character are still pending, 4 aliens have been deported, and 1 was released by the court.

Of the 10 cases on appeal a year ago, there has been a decision in only 1, which sustained the decision of the lower court favorable to the Government. The long delay in securing decisions on appeal still continues to hamper the enforcement of the law so far as those are concerned who have the financial means to perfect an appeal. In 8 of the cases on appeal the petitioners were denied as contract laborers coming under an agreement to teach school. All were released by the court on bond and are teaching and fulfilling their contracts in violation of law.

In 1 case pending last year the Department of Justice decided not to appeal from the decision of the lower court, which was unfavorable to us.

The petitioner mentioned in last year's report whose bondsmen failed to produce him and forfeited the amount of the bond, $500, was apprehended and deported in September.

WORK OF THE MEDICAL OFFICERS.

The work of the medical officers of the United States Public Health Service at this station has been during the past year eminently satisfactory.

SMUGGLING.

We have found efforts to smuggle in aliens are not made at this port, probably due to the fact that the Asiatics desire to enter the mainland.

SOCIETIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALIENS.

The Young Men's Christian Association in its oriental division endeavors to teach the Japanese, whether born here or those who are aliens, American ideas. The same is true of the Young Women's Christian Association. Representatives of the Young Women's Christian Association have visited this station to give counsel to the Japa

nese women.

Owing to the scarcity of labor due to war conditions there have been less demands upon public charity.

CHINESE PREINVESTIGATION MATTERS.

There were acted upon by this office during the past year 178 applications for natives' return certificates, 69 for exempt certificates, and 261 for laborers' certificates. There were granted 69 applications of the first class, 52 of the second, and 232 of the third. 283 holders of return certificates had departed for China at the close of the year.

INVESTIGATIONS.

Investigations were conducted as follows: Regarding applicants for entry, 18; in warrant cases, 18; in naturalization matters, 58; in cases of Chinese residents desiring to bring in relatives, 52.

In addition to the 993 alien certificates for travel to the mainland already referred to, 111 citizens' certificates for similar travel were granted, and the section-6 certificates of 6 Chinese members of the exempt classes were visaed for the same purpose.