immigration through Canadian border land ports was 102,496; in 1926, 91,786; in 1927, 81,982; and in 1928, 73,605. The successive decreases were 98,338, 10,710, 9,804, and 8,377, a total drop in immigration during the four years of 127,229. In 1924, the peak year of immigration from Canada, 200,834 immigrants came in over the northern land border. During the fiscal year covered by this report 73,154 immigrants, who gave Canada as their last permanent residence, were admitted to the United States, mainly at the land-border stations, comparatively few newcomers from that country entering at our seaports. Of this number 62,229, or 85.1 per cent, were of the English, French, Irish, and Scotch races. In the same period 72,616, or 98.6 per cent, of the 73,605 immigrants coming in via the Canadian border gave Canada as their last permanent residence; and 99.3 per cent of the immigrants giving Canada as their last permanent residence came in over the northern land border. Therefore it may be stated that with few exceptions all the immigrants admitted from Canada came in via the Canadian border and all the immigrants coming in that way gave Canada as their last permanent residence. As in the case of the Mexican border, hundreds of thousands of aliens and citizens residing on either side of the boundary, mainly in towns contiguous thereto, cross and recross daily or periodically on social or business errands. Treating each entry of these regular "crossers" as a separate transaction, and adding thereto all other transactions, the total volume of entrants during the past year is estimated at approximately 26,000,000. The examination of these regular "crossers" is greatly facilitated by the use of identification cards. About one out of every seven immigrants admitted along the Canadian border was a child; 11,009, or 15 per cent of the total for the past year, being under 16 years of age, while 17,045 ranged in age from 16 to 21 years, 21,181 from 22 to 29 years, 10,111 from 30 to 37 years, 5,450 from 38 to 44 years, and 8,809 from 45 to 55 years and over. The male immigrant aliens numbered 39,397 and the female 34,208; the single males, 25,283; single females, 20,069; married males, 13,309; married females, 12,196; widowers, 740; widows, 1,813; male divorced, 65, and female divorced, 130. Among these immigrants 18,730 gave skilled occupations, 6,510 were common laborers, 2,838 were farm laborers, 4,127 servants, 3,181 farmers, and 5,072 were of the mercantile and miscellaneous classes. The number listed as having no occupation, largely women and children, was 29,263. Only 3,884 gave a professional occupation. About four-fifths of the newcomers entering from Canada settled in States along the border. Michigan received the largest number, 18,294; New York State, 14,096; Massachusetts, 10,830; Washington, 3,716; Maine, 3,453; Connecticut, 1,637; New Hampshire, 1,371; Vermont, 1,415; Minnesota, 969; and North Dakota, 379. About four-fifths of the immigrant aliens admitted at Canadian border-land stations during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1928, were born in Canada. The major portion of the remainder were found to be natives of European countries, principally Great Britain and Ireland. 15869-28-2 IMMIGRATION FROM MEXICO The number of Mexican aliens admitted to the United States during the past fiscal year was 61,622-57,765 immigrant and 3,857 nonimmigrant-a decline of 19,017 from the previous year when 80,639 aliens of this race entered the country. The number of Mexican immigrants dropped from 66,766 in the year 1927 to 57,765 in 1928, a decrease of 13.5 per cent; 47,686 were over 16 years of age and 10,079 were children under 16 years of age; 37,965 were males and 19,800 females. The single immigrants numbered 32,209, married 22,882, widowed 2,637, and divorced 37. Unskilled workers continued to predominate; 19,964 Mexicans admitted last year gave their occupation as that of common laborer, 4,989 were farm laborers, and 2,065 were servants. The professional class numbered 1,013, skilled workers 5,725, commercial and miscellaneous classes 1,715, and 22,294 were listed as having no occupation. In the past fiscal year a total of 62,374 aliens (61,622 of whom were Mexicans) were recorded in immigration statistics as entering the United States by way of the Mexican border. Hundreds of thousands of aliens and citizens residing on either side of the boundary, mainly in towns contiguous thereto, cross and recross daily or periodically upon social or business errands. Treating each entry of these "crossers" as a separate transaction, and adding thereto all other transactions, the total volume of entrants is estimated to have been approximately 27,000,000 for the past year. As on the Canadian border, the examinations of these regular "crossers" is greatly facilitated by the use of identification cards. While Mexican immigrants generally give one of the several border States as their destination, a large proportion of these newcomers eventually find their way into the interior of the country where their labor is in demand by industries and agricultural interests. In short, the border States are to a very large extent mere stepping-stones. The vacancies thus created are being continually filled by newcomers. The drop in Mexican immigration during the past year was contrary to all expectations. A substantial increase had been confidently expected. Various causes contributed to the decrease. Agricultural prosperity along the west coast of Mexico, with its resultant demand for labor at good wages, kept many Mexicans at home in that region. The lumber industry in the northwestern part of the United States is reported to have released a great many workers. These in turn were absorbed by other industries and by agriculture to such an extent that the demand for Mexican labor was substantially curtailed. The sugar-beet sections of the North and Northwest are reported to have curtailed largely their acreage, with resultant lessening of the demand for Mexican labor. The usual seasonal demand for labor on the part of railroads in the Southwest did not materialize. At El Paso, notably, many immigrants, upon arriving at the border and learning the true condition of affairs, returned to their homes in the interior. Many of them had to be assisted by the Mexican Government. In view of these adverse conditions the curtailment of Mexican immigration was, as herein above indicated, surprisingly small. ALIENS INELIGIBLE TO CITIZENSHIP The number of aliens ineligible to citizenship entering the country during the past year was 15,983. Of the total number admitted, 7,996 were Chinese, 193 East Indians, 7,712 Japanese, 70 Koreans, and 12 Pacific Islanders; 837 entered as Government officials, their families, attendants, servants and employees; 1,909 as visitors for business or pleasure; 6,732 as returning residents; 424 as students; and 85 as ministers or professors and their wives and children; 5,132 as transits; and 864 to carry on trade under existing treaties. SEAMEN As indicated in the last annual report, the problem confronting the service in the control of alien seamen is the most difficult and vexatious with which it has to deal. As the immigration laws have been tightened up from time to time, the problem has been correspondingly accentuated. Particularly is this true since the adoption of the numerical limitation policy as expressed by the acts of 1921 and 1924. As has been previously pointed out, seamen occupy a privileged position in the scheme of things; commerce must not be unduly hampered, seamen come and go largely at will, and the crux of the problem is to prevent aliens gaining a foothold in this country in the guise of seamen. Sections 19 and 20 of the 1924 act are a decided improvement upon similar provisions contained in the immigration act of 1917. They are more definite and explicit and place a much greater responsibility upon vessels, their owners, agents, etc. Transportation companies now face a penalty when they allow the escape from a vessel of a mala fide seaman who has been ordered detained on board. The penalty is sufficiently severe to assure the adoption of every reasonable precaution. No longer do alien seamen leave their vessels in the numbers they formerly did before an immigration officer goes aboard to conduct his examinations. The difficulty still exists, and probably always will exist, of determining with accuracy whether a given alien employed on a vessel may be trusted to go ashore and later to leave the country by the same or another vessel in the pursuit of his calling. Immigration officers can not arbitrarily order the holding of alien seamen on board as mala fide; on the contrary, they must show reasonable cause for such action; the development of evidence showing bad faith is at best a difficult task. The most that can be expected in this respect is that examining officers will exercise diligence and good judgment, making such inquiries and investigations as the circumstances in each individual case warrant. In the foregoing connection the following tabulations will doubtless prove of interest. Vessels boarded and alien seamen examined, including United States citizens serving as seamen Alien seamen deserted, ordered held on board vessel, escaped, removed from vessel, certified for contagious disease, and removed to hospital for treatment, as specified ADMINISTRATIVE FINES During the past fiscal year fewer cases of proposed fines came before the department for determination than in the preceding year. It may be stated with assurance that this has been due very largely to the preinspection of aliens abroad and the exercise of greater care upon the part of steamship companies in the booking of immigrants. As against $378,360 in fines imposed in the fiscal year ended June 30, 1927 (exclusive of $79,000 which proved uncollectable), the past fiscal year witnessed the imposition of $314,960 in fines, $63,000 of which had not been collected at the close of the period covered by this report. Summary of fines imposed, act of 1924: $250 fines (physically and mentally defective cases) $1,000 fines (sec. 20 cases). $1,000 fines (sec. 26 cases, illiterates). $1,000 fines (sec. 26 cases, diseased, insane, etc.). Passage money ordered refunded to aliens in above $300 cases (sec. 18). $50 cases (sec. 35, diseased seamen cases). Passage money ordered refunded to aliens in above cases Summary of fines imposed, act of 1922: $200 cases (bringing aliens in excess of quota) Total... In addition to the above, under the act of 1924, 56 actions, aggregating $14,600, were directed under section 27, which have or will come before the courts, 9 of these actions being by way of libel against the steamships involved and the balance in personam against the owners, masters, agents, or consignees. Forfeiture of bonds Involving aliens admitted: Against becoming a public charge. Departure after temporary admission. Involving bail bonds: Under warrant of arrest.. Under warrant of deportation. Failure to appear when wanted, after being released on own recognizance.. Immigration officers.. Others.. |