OCR Text |
Show THE UNFIT IMMIGRANT Many people express tho foar that the closo of tho war Is going to bring to this country a stream of cripples and sufferers from ailments contracted contract-ed during tho war. Tho present laws oxcludo any" Immigrant,, Im-migrant,, who by reason of physical or mental dofoct, may seom unlikely to earn a living. Having enacted this necessary atatuto, tho govern ment skimps on the facilities nnrcb-sary nnrcb-sary to onforco it, Plvo thousand Immigrants often MaMMsSjMHSMMaMMSUHSMsMsy! pass through Ellis Island, station at Now York in a day. Predictions aro mado that- now routes through tho Panama canal will bring a horde to tho Pacific coast. When tho war Is ovor, tho opportunities of America will appeal to many men whose jobs are gono and whose homes are destroyed. de-stroyed. It they havo willing hand? and strong arms, there will be work for them to do hero. Tho Immigrant, even when physically physic-ally strong, is a pathetic plcturo. He has tho Idea that America is tho land of'eaay money. Ho leaves some comfortable enough peasant cottago with his meager savings of a life open air of his farm at homo for tho dnmp odors of tho mine, tho stifling air of a factory, and tho congested llfo of tho tenoment. In a year his ruddy faco has turned pale. Ho pays commission to sharpers of his own! rnce for his Job, and may havo loss to eat than at homo. If ho also brings tho seeds of diseases dis-eases and weaknesses Incurred In war, his lot will bo miserable indeed. in-deed. Ho Is likely to become a public pub-lic charge. At home, ties or friendship friend-ship and charity would enable him to subsist. When tho waV is over, tho keepers at our gates will need every facility to onablo them to discover and ex-cludo ex-cludo tho unfit. It would bo far more just and merciful, It examinations examina-tions could bo mado on tho other side, so savo these poor peoplo a fruitless and costly trip. It would bo 1 better still, if means could.be tound to persuade them that gold Is rarely picked upon our public streets. |