Imported Americans: The Story of the Experiences of a Disguised American and His Wife Studying the Immigration QuestionBrandenburg, Broughton
History
Imported Americans: The Story of the Experiences of a Disguised American and His Wife Studying the Immigration Question
Brandenburg, Broughton
Italy -- Emigration and immigration; United States -- Emigration and immigration
The superintendent of immigration of the Dominion of Canada, Mr. W. D.
Scott, has evinced a desire to give a broad interpretation of the act
alluded to. In this connection it may not be out of place to quote
verbatim a few sentences from a communication he addressed to this
office on May 28, 1903:
OTTAWA, _May 28, 1903_.
... But it is very clear to me that if these people are of the class who
are likely to be refused by your commissioners ... they must be of the
class that would be refused by the Canadian medical officers at Atlantic
seaports.
It is quite true, however, that our examination, so far as money
standard is concerned, is not particularly strict, but aside from that,
on all other points I do not know that there is very much difference
between the general reasons for deportation taken into consideration by
the Canadian and United States officials....
Allow me to assure you again that this department will do everything to
co-operate in preventing an undesirable class of people from the
Continent to land in this country.
These sentiments are so plainly indicative of a realization on the part
of the Canadian officials of the necessity for enlightened action, that
comment on them on my part is unnecessary.
Even a tentative co-operation is a vast improvement on the methods
prevalent prior to September, 1901 (all of which was reported June 30,
1902), and a continuance of it may be safely relied on to correct still
further a condition which had become well-nigh intolerable.
During the ten months which were covered by my report of June 30, 1902,
the gateways to the United States via the Canadian frontier east of
Sault Ste Marie became thoroughly well known to many interested persons,
and it became evident to us that the properly protected gateways were
being avoided by certain classes of immigrants, and it was incumbent on
us to ascertain what outlet was being sought in lieu of the well-guarded
routes.
This investigation revealed a state of things requiring prompt and
vigorous action on the part of the Bureau. It devolved upon me to advise
the Bureau that whatever leak there was was beyond the western extremity
of the jurisdiction of the Montreal office, and to recommend that steps
be taken to “check the current which was all too plainly being diverted
to frontier points west of Sault Ste Marie.”
* * * * *
Pursuant to instructions I detailed a corps of well-trained inspectors
and interpreters to duty at Winnipeg, Manitoba, and at the same time,
through the influence of the Bureau, obtained the acquiescence of the
parties of the second part (to wit, certain Canadian transportation
companies) to Department Circular 97, dated November 1, 1901, to the
establishment of a board of special inquiry at Winnipeg.
The Bureau will have some approximate idea of the importance of this
change when viewing it in the light of the following figures:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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