BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION.

IMMIGRATION IN GENERAL.

The report of the Commissioner General of Immigration shows that the number of aliens who entered the country during the past fiscal year was considerably smaller than the number that entered in the fiscal year 1910, viz, 878,587, as compared with 1,041,570, the difference being 162,983. At the close of the fiscal year 1910 the influx of foreigners was large and continuous. This condition is shown to have obtained throughout the next four months-July, August, September, and October-but beginning with November and extending throughout the remainder of the year there was a constant falling off in the number of arrivals.

The figures given above relate to immigrant aliens, viz, those coming to the country with the avowed purpose of remaining. In addition to the 878,587 such persons, 151,713 of the nonimmigrant class entered, making a total of 1,030,300, compared with 1,198,037 for the previous fiscal year. During the year there departed from the country 518,215, of whom 295,666 were of the emigrant and 222,549 of the nonemigrant class. In the previous fiscal year 380,418 aliens left the country, of whom 202,436 were of the emigrant and 177,982 of the nonemigrant class. A comparison of these figures shows that the actual increase in the alien population for the fiscal year 1911 was 512,085, as compared with 817,619 for the fiscal year 1910 and 543,843 for 1909.

AGES, LITERACY, AND FINANCIAL CONDITION OF IMMIGRANTS.

The following facts regarding the 878,587 immigrant aliens admitted during the year are significant. The ages of 714,709 of them ranged between 14 and 44 years, while 117,837 were under 14 and 46,041 were 45 or over. Concerning those over 14 years of age, 182,273 could neither read nor write, and 2,930 could read but not write, a total of 185,203. It is interesting to compare this with the number of illiterates admitted in the fiscal year 1910-258,140-especially as the decrease of 72,937 is not explained by the general decrease in immigration, but is an actual lowering of the ratio, thus: Of those admitted in 1910 over 14 years of age 28 per cent were illiterate, while of those admitted in 1911 over 14 years of age only 24.5 per cent were illiterate. The total amount of money shown to inspection officers by arriving aliens was $29,411,488, or an average of about

$33 per person. There is no way to determine how much of this was sent the applicants by relatives or friends living in the United States. Of the aliens entering 586,904 claimed to have paid their own passage, while 281,718 admitted that their passage had been paid by relatives and 9,965 admitted that it had been paid by some person other than a relative. On this point it is difficult to obtain reliable information, as dependence must be placed upon the statements made by the aliens, who frequently feel that it is to their advantage not to disclose the facts. The fact that over 333 per cent of the total number admitted were assisted, whereas in 1910 only 25 per cent were, indicates a remarkable increase.

AGES AND PERIODS OF RESIDENCE OF DEPARTING ALIENS.

During the year 295,666 aliens emigrated from the United States. Concerning 49,080 of these, a record of the period they had lived here could not be procured, as they left across the Canadian border. The statistics show, however, that 15,889 of these emigrants were less than 14, 248,021 were from 14 to 44, and 31,756 were 45 years of age or over; 201,294 had resided in the United States less than 5 years, 35,323 from 5 to 10 years, 4,990 from 10 to 15 years, 2,438 from 15 to 20 years, and 2,541 over 20 years.

OCCUPATIONS OF IMMIGRANTS AND EMIGRANTS.

It is interesting to note the general classes into which the occupations of the aliens entering and leaving the country, respectively, are segregated. Of common unskilled laborers, 155,996 immigrated and 173,952 emigrated, compared with 148,892 skilled immigrating and 33,473 emigrating. Thus, there was an actual decrease during the year in unskilled laborers of approximately 18,000, while there was an increase of skilled of over 100,000.

SOURCES OF IMMIGRATION.

The growing disparity between the number of aliens entering the United States from countries of northern and western Europe and those entering from countries of southern and eastern Europe is again illustrated by the statistics for the past year. Formerly a large proportion of our immigration came from Teutonic and Celtic countries. During the past year only 202,391 immigrants, or about 23 per cent of the total, came thence, constituted as follows: Belgium, 5,711; Denmark, 7,555; France, 8,022; German Empire, 32,061; Netherlands, 8,358; Norway, 13,950; Sweden, 20,780; Switzerland, 3,458; England, 52,426; Ireland, 29,112; Scotland, 18,796; Wales, 2,162. On the other hand, 572,218 immigrants, or about 65 per cent

of the total, came from the Iberic and Slavonic countries, segregated as follows: Italy, 182,882; Russia, principally southern, but including Finland, 158,721; Austria, 82,129; Hungary, 76,928; Greece, 26,226; Turkey in Europe and adjoining principalities, 21,655; Turkey in Asia, 10,229; Portugal, 8,374; Spain, 5,074.

REJECTIONS OF ARRIVING ALIENS.

During the year 22,349 aliens were rejected as belonging to the excluded classes. This important subject is clearly stated by a table given in the report of the Commissioner General of Immigration, showing the principal causes of rejection for the years 1906 to 1911, inclusive, which table is reproduced here. Particular attention should be directed to the fact that the two classes "Likely to become a public charge," and "Physically or mentally defective" often merge; some of the 12,048 of the former and many of the 3,055 of the latter shown by this table having been rejected on both grounds, it not being easy to determine in preparing statistics which was the principal reason for exclusion.

The satisfactory conditions with respect to the enforcement of this feature of the law set forth in the Commissioner General's reports for 1909 and 1910 are shown by his report for the past year to have been continued. In fact, the examples contained in his report seem to show that the year has witnessed noteworthy success, especially by way of prosecutions against flagrant violations of the law. Taking the more important cases, it is shown that as much as $79,506 were assessed in fines and that several suits involving amounts of considerable size are still pending.

ARRESTS AND DEPORTATIONS.

During the year 2,788 warrants of deportation were executed after granting hearings to the arrested aliens, compared with 2,695 for the previous year. These were divided as follows: Members of the excluded classes at the time of entry, 1,151; those who became public charges from causes existing prior to entry, 857; those who were. found to be prostitutes subsequent to entry, 129; those who entered without inspection, 555; together with 71 members of the new class created by the amendatory act of March 26, 1910, viz, the sexually immoral who had been in the country more than three years. To the 2,788 deportations on warrant above mentioned should be added the 22,349 rejected at the ports as members of the excluded classes, making a total of 25,119 deported. Attention is directed to the fact that of the total number 8,767 were deported or rejected because physically, mentally, or morally below the standard set by the law, compared with 6,612 in the previous year.

JAPANESE AND KOREAN LABORERS.

With respect to the enforcement of the President's proclamation of March 14, 1907, satisfactory results are shown. During the year 4,328 Japanese applied for admission to continental United States, 4,282 of whom were admitted and 46 debarred. Of those applying, 4,179 were and 149 were not in possession of proper passports. Of those holding such passports, 4,090 belonged to classes entitled under the proclamation and understanding with Japan to receive such credentials, and only 89 were not entitled thereto. The said 4,090 consisted of 1,146 former residents, 2,185 parents, wives, or children of residents, and 759 new arrivals, who were nonlaborers. The 89 not entitled to passports were laborers who were neither former residents nor the parents, wives, or children of such residents. During the same period 2,193 Japanese applied for admission to Hawaii, 2,159 of whom were admitted and 34 debarred. Of those applying, 2,153 had and 6 had not proper passports. Of those holding such passports, 2,069 were entitled and 118 were not entitled to them. Of the 2,069, 413 were former residents and 1,656 the parents, wives, or children of such residents.

CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

The Commissioner General's report shows that the difficulties of enforcing the Chinese-exclusion laws have not decreased. While every possible effort is exerted to insure the prompt admission of Chinese entitled to enter and the rejection at the ports or apprehension along the border of those who attempt to enter in violation of law, the conditions which confront the administrative officers in enforcing these laws are so great that a reasonable degree of success

is accepted as cause of congratulation. The policy of making it convenient for Chinese lawfully residing in the United States to leave and return has been continued, as has also the practice of according full value to certificates approved by consular officers and presented by Chinese arriving for the first time, but with respect to a considerable number of this last-mentioned class of cases palpable frauds have been detected.

During the year the applications for admission of 5,935 Chinese were considered, of whom 5,107 were admitted, 692 deported, with 136 cases pending at the close of the year. The corresponding figures for the previous year were: Total applications, 7,064; admissions, 5,950; deportations, 969; escapes, 6; and pending at close of year, 139.

IMMIGRATION STATIONS.

It is necessary again to report slow progress in the erection of the several immigration stations, some time since authorized by Congress, and comment with respect to which has been made in several previous reports. A site has finally been acquired for the Boston station, the complications which arose with respect to same having been adjusted. The site and old buildings acquired for the Philadelphia station at Gloucester City, N. J., have already been occupied by the immigration commissioner and his force of employees, and the erection of additional buildings and the construction of a wharf are being pushed as rapidly as possible, though an additional appropriation to cover an expenditure already authorized is necessary and has not yet been made. A site has been acquired at Locust Point, Baltimore, for the building of a station and plans are now being prepared. The construction of a wharf and building at Charleston, S. C., is now well under way. Additional appropriations for land and buildings aggregating $65,000 having been made by Congress in March last, it becomes necessary to acquire another lot of ground and to change the plans which had been prepared for the station at New Orleans. The immigrant station at Galveston, Tex., is completed and has been accepted, and will be occupied as soon as an appropriation is made by Congress for furnishing it.

DIVISION OF INFORMATION.

The Chief of the Division of Information reports that 30,657 persons received information from this service during the year, no one being registered more than once. This is an increase of 12,418 over the previous year.

The number of those giving their occupation as farın laborer was 7,134, an increase of 1,932 over the last fiscal year; 8,028 day laborers applied, an increase of 3,171; 978 carpenters were registered, but, as