braving the United States laws. I wonder how long your Government will stand this. In the meantime, whilst hundreds of immigrants pass here uninspected and unmolested to your country by Canada, and agents like Ludwig advertise that they do not care for your laws, we inspect, the United States surgeon inspects, and the New York immigration service inspects, and our agents are held by your laws, and I make an affidavit to that effect, difficile satiram non scribere."

The original of these circulars were sent to your CommissionerGeneral of Immigration in my letters of March 30 and June 7, 1900, and are, I presume, on file in his office.

The following extracts from confidential letters received from prominent steamship men in Europe may not be considered as evidence in a court of law, but such unrestrained expressions of opinion are certainly a much more honest indication of the actual feelings on this subject, which at present obtain in Europe, than any formal letter that could be written. If necessary, I will endeavor to obtain permission to show you the originals.

Under date of April 17, 1900, a steamship officer at one of the prominent European ports writes as follows:

"The large increase of passengers of Eastern and Italian origin for the Canadian lines is remarkable. No doubt one of the chief causes for this is the easier landing at Canadian ports, which is all the more attractive since the inspection of passengers for United States ports at the embarkation as well as debarkation becomes more and more strict. We find here every week that passengers excluded by us purchase their tickets via Canada and arrive. They are mostly Italians on which the circulars and bills regarding free debarkation, and starko senza controllo' (hardly any control), in Canada have a great attraction. A remedy evidently can only be expected from measures of the United States Government."

Another officer writes, under date of May 6, 1900:

"We understand that Ludwig, of Chiasso, has opened or will open an office in Naples. His forwardings via Canada continue to be important, and no doubt the combination is to be strengthened by the office in Naples. The firm evidently feels encouraged by their successes, thanks to the inactiveness of the American Government. This does not affect only the Italian emigration, but the free emigration via Canada also affects, as we have noticed already, the Eastern business (Russians, Galicians, etc.) the more, as the latter contrasts very much with the severe restrictions of the direct lines."

Another prominent officer, writing in May, 1900, made the following statement:

"The apparent indifference or impotence of the United States Government concerning emigrants passing over the Canadian frontier is a serious disadvantage to the lines sailing direct to the United States ports. When I was in Liverpool a few days ago the Canadian lines said they were being strongly pressed by the Canadian government to absolve themselves from all obligations that would prevent them carrying all passengers who wish to be landed in Canada, whatever their numbers, and they have been discussing amongst themselves the propriety of making a proposal to the continental lines giving an undertaking not to book any passengers via Canada to places in the United States, but that they should restrict themselves to booking continental

passengers to places in Canada only. I asked them what there was to hinder them booking a large share of United States passsengers to towns on the Canadian side of the frontier between the United States and Canada, assuring the passengers, as they do at present, that this is the best manner for them to book in order to avoid being considered United States passengers when they land in Canada. They said they did not believe there would be any appreciable amount of United States business done in this way.

Still another writes under date of June 30 as follows:

"Referring to the confidential letters of the parties, we beg to inform you that last week a lot of 100 Roumanians arrived here which had been booked in Austria for a trip via London. The addresses which the people had with them showed, however, that their final destination was America. Some of the people confessed that they wished to go to Canada, and when we informed them that if they desired to go to the United States they had better go there by the straight route, than on roundabout ways, they came out openly that their actual destination was New York, but that they had tried to get there by way of LondonCanada, because they were told somewhere else that they; if they would go direct to New York, would be refused at Castle Garden."

Another writes under date of July 3, 1900:

"We took occasion to call the attention of the parties to the attempts which are being made in order to bring the continually increasing troops of Roumanian emigrants in roundabout ways via England and Canada to the United States. The methods which for this purpose are being pursued are many and unusual ones. In this manner there appeared a few days ago at Frankfort a. M. about 300 Roumanians, who had come via Austria, where no one knew what to do with them. The one-half was sent from Frankfort to Rotterdam with sufficient means to go to England, the other half to Hamburg. All of the Roumanians that came to Hamburg, 140 in number, wanted to go to the United States, and if they had escaped our attention they would have gone from England to Canada, and from Canada via the frontier to the United States."

At the Russian-German border certain "control" stations have been established which are supported by the continental steamship lines. The officers in control of these stations have been instructed regarding the United States immigration laws, and they are not to allow anyone to pass these stations who would not without doubt be admitted to the United States.

The following letter from one of the prominent European steamship officers, under date of June 30, describes how the passengers are induced to take long, roundabout, and difficult routes in order to avoid these control" stations:

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"The prepaid passengers of the Holland-American Line, who had drifted into Hamburg, made the following statement regarding their forwarding from Wilna to Hamburg:

"At the depot in Wilna the agents, Kristowick and Guschonowitcz, pressed us to attend to the railroad transportation and steamship tickets to Rotterdam. We had the intention to travel via Eydtkuhnen to Rotterdam; the above agents pointed out to us the difficulties at the frontier in designating this route as very unsafe and most expensive for us, in consequence whereof we accepted the proposition of K. & G. to have them forward us via St. Petersburg, Hango, Copenhagen, S. Doc. 62-10

to Rotterdam. In Copenhagen our connecting passengers and the others, about 250 fellow-travelers, were sent to Hull, from where they were being sent via Canada to America, while we were being sent to Hamburg."

Another party commenting on this incident relates as follows:

"This is what I told you would happen. The Russian and Eastern emigrants are particularly afraid of the inspection, and the Canadian open door, largely advertised by the agents of the Canadian lines, must have a great effect with them. In the meantime the direct lines are maintaining at great expense control stations for these emigrants, and inspect them on leaving and on arriving, for the benefit of the Canadian lines, because the more we inspect and reject, the more the business is driven to the Canadian lines."

Our Antwerp agents write us under date of June 15, 1900, as follows (the inclosures referred to follow herewith):

"CANADA. I inclose herewith statements about indirect emigration via this port. It shows no decrease in the Beaver Line's Italian and other business. I found out that not only Ludwig, but also other agents in Italy were now busy for the Beaver. Our newly appointed agents in Switzerland came over expressly to explain that they must have permission to work for a Canadian line, because, they explained, the landing without 'control' proves to be too great an attraction, and if they can not offer it, their clientele will desert them. Moreover, they told me that Ludwig is now working up a combination to forward Orientals by the Beaver Line, and his information, which was rather vague, is now confirmed by a letter from a director of the French Line, herewith inclosed. The accompanying letter from steamship agents in Galatz is also curious. They were appointed two months ago and are entirely new in the business, and nevertheless know about the Canadian open door. Who told them? This letter is a sure indication to me that the Canadian free door is advertised all round.

"Another curious symptom is the fact that in former times we had a great deal of trouble with rejected passengers at this port, and (except Jews, who nearly always went to London and thence to Canada) we had to return these passengers to their homes at our expense. Thirteen passengers rejected from one of our steamers disappeared after arrival without molesting us in any way. Our runners report that they left for London. We know what that means."

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[Copy of letter from French Line dated June 8, 1900.]

We follow with the greatest attention the actions of the Beaver Line, which menaces all the companies with a competition which becomes more important every day.

"You doubtless know that they book a large number of passengers at Chiasso; it has exceeded 100 for a single voyage, causing thus a serious loss to the Red Star Line, the Holland, and our own line. They have become active in another quarter, and actually recruit Syrians at Marseille, who are forwarded to Liverpool via Paris, Dieppe, and London. The agency at Marseille has obtained the service of a Syrian interpreter, which proves that they count on fol lowing up this business, and are seeking it in Beyreuth even. "DORIGNY, Director."

[Copy of letter from agent at Galatz, Austria, June 2, 1900, regarding passenger J. Szulovitz, holding ticket L 2951.]

"The passenger on above number must, under all circumstances, go to New York on account of family matters, which he must attend to there. Although his diseased eye gave us some apprehension, we issued his certificate of acceptance on the assurance of an eye doctor of our city. If you believe, however, that he will not be allowed to land, then kindly forward him to Canada, from where he can reach New York by rail.

"We recommend, under all these circumstances, that passenger to you, who will spare nothing in order to land in New York."

From the foregoing statement of the situation, you must see that the strictest possible laws have been enacted by the United States to protect the people of this country from undesirable alien immigrants; the passengers and direct steamship lines are heavily taxed to enable the law to be enforced; the United States Government officers are zealous and vigilant to detect and turn back undesirables, both here and in Europe; the direct lines' subagents in Europe and even the control" stations on the far-off Russian border are held to account for evasions of the United States immigration laws, so far as direct entrance is concerned.

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But it is impossible to doubt that undesirable alien immigrants in great numbers are freely entering the country via the Canadian ports; that aliens who have been deported from United States ports for the worst kind of loathsome contagious diseases have found no difficulty in getting back to the United States via Canada almost before the vessel on which they were deported has returned; that not one undesirable alien is really debarred from entry if he has money enough to pay his way via Canada; and that the result of all these struggles to carry out the laws are to waste the people's money, to dishearten and demoralize honest officials (for every man's official honesty and zeal are weakened and demoralized when he finds his best efforts are fruitless and wasted), and to divert the business of the direct steamship lines to the United States into other channels and to foreign ports, and all of this without accomplishing the object for which such great efforts are made.

Unless the remedy be quickly applied, this diversion of business may prove permanent. If the diversion was only of the undesirable aliens, the United States steamship lines would not object; but the diversion is much more serious, and is extending to all those who want to avoid trouble and expense. Formerly the Canadian lines claimed they were entitled to charge lower rates than the United States lines because their steamers were smaller and slower than most of the latter. Under the present conditions we have seen that passengers are willing to pay a higher price to come via the Canadian lines in order to escape the delays and uncertainties at the United States seaports. There is thus created by the very laws which were designed to protect the United States, an artificial value or premium on trade that avoids United States ports. Nor is this all, for the diversion of the passenger traffic may lead to a diversion of freight traffic, and when the current is once set away from us it is hard to turn it again in our direction.

Do not infer from this that the steamship lines running into United

States ports expect or ask you to protect them from the natural and legitimate competition of the Canadian steamship lines. The United States immigration and labor laws were framed for the broad purpose of protecting the people of the whole United States from the introduction of dangerous diseases, foreign criminals and paupers, and from the unscrupulous importation of foreign cheap workers to take the places of our higher-paid laborers. We do not expect you to halt or turn back in your efforts to execute these laws because it may bear hardly upon the steamship or other transportation companies, but we believe we have a right both to ask and to expect that you will execute these laws, so far as is possible, impartially, and at all points of entry alike, and that you will not by exceedingly strict inspection on one border and practically none on the other, create an unnatural and abnormal competition against the ports and steamship lines of your own country, and this without the justification of its being necessary. I am satisfied from my past dealings with your Department that you are trying to honestly and fairly execute these laws with the least possible irritation and hindrance to commerce, and I am placing these facts before you to strengthen your purpose to equally and impartially protect all ports of the country.

One scheme has been tried in order to accomplish this purpose; has been amended and tried again, but without success. Let us examine this scheme, and why it failed, and this knowledge may suggest to you or other wiser minds than mine a way out of our difficulties.

2. PRESENT PLANS FOR SECURING CONTROL.

3. REASONS WHY THEY ARE NOT EFFECTIVE.

After some years of verbal protest and waiting for relief by the direct steamship lines in August of 1893 your Department first took definite action, which is thus described by your Superintendent of Immigration on page 17 of his annual report for the year ending June 30, 1894:

"It was represented to this Bureau that, in order to evade the law, undesirable immigration would seek Canadian routes, landing at Halifax and Quebec, and entering the United States across the frontier; and steamship lines sailing from Europe to Canadian ports advertised they would sell tickets to points of destination in the United States, and that steerage passengers by their lines could enter the United States without being subjected to an inspection by immigration officers.

* * *

"Under the power invested in you by the foregoing acts of Congress, you directed me, August 12, 1893, as Superintendent of Immigration, to proceed along the Canadian frontier and establish such rules and regulations at the points of railway and water entry as were necessary to remedy this evil. * Prior to this time there existed, prac

* *

tically speaking, no inspection along the frontier."

In pursuance of this instruction, your superintendent entered into an agreement1 with the Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Railways, and the Dominion, Allan, Beaver and Hansa Steamship lines.

Under this agreement inspectors were located in Quebec in summer, and Halifax in winter, and later on at St. Johns, New Brunswick.