| Show THE immigration PROBLEM THE question of immigration la Is of national importance A few weeks ago it formed a for debate between representatives of the two great now new england universities yale and harvard there is a measure pending pen ing in congress relating to it the beary ary bill which recently passed the house of representatives at washington refers exclusively to chinese last summer a special commission from this country visited the various nations of europe to study and investigate the problem at its source this was done with a view of amend ing existing legislation on the matter if needed one of the commissioners the hon john B weber who viel tell europe has an article on this question in the review for A april that gentleman apprehends none of the serious troubles anticipated by others from immigration he says that neither in france belgium holland germany germaey nor austria do the governments or societies help to transport paupers haupers pau pers criminals criminal or other defectives fec tives to this country the vagabond of europe does not emigrate as a rule there are individual instances but the slums are sluggish ih and seldom look beyond the sew it is admitted that large numbers of if idle or unemployed persons are found to in all our large cities variously estimated at an aggregate of from one to two wo millions mr weber says that idle men have existed in large cities since the early days of the republic but the rush to the cities at present is from our own rural districts the same condition con ditton prevails in europe in regard to urban emigration in fact the rush from country to city has been so ao air alarming aming in germany that legislation to protect it is already contemplated the cry that a large percentage of criminals and paupers haupers are of the foreign element may have considerable t uth in it but it is not because of foreign birth or parentage that such to is the case it to is simply because the foreign ere era represent the poorer section 0 of society and in our forms forma of civilization and sociology there must be a poorer section and from this will come the criminals and pau pauper sno matter where born the know nothing party of fifty years ago contained many men who honestly believed that american interests were being jeopardized by the increasing arrival of foreigners foreign em the party did not succeed however but the republic still exists and next year we expect to show to the world the marvellous marcellous marv ellous progress of our country at an exposition held in a city which at the time the know nothing party existed was but little mure more than a barren pr prairie airle but now has a population of over a million people while the party has haa perished leaving nothing as a monument save the lesson of warning to posterity to avoid racial and religious bigotry in the formation and conduct of political parties mr weber daes not approve the contemplated tem plated consular inspection system at foreign port I 1 because he thinks it would not be as effective as tle the present method rigorously enforced and with some small amendments to meet weak or defective links in the existing laws pertaining to immigration |
