Distributed $130.74 of Society's funds among 36 families.

The President of the German Society of New York requested that I inform him of the number of immigrants who travel from New York to Chicago on immigrant trains, stating that the railroad companies which have their headquarters for immigrants at Castle Gardens, New York, claim that they bring immigrants from New York to Chicago in less than five days.

This may be the case now and then, when it does not pay to run an immigrant train, because of an insufficient number of passengers; but the regular trip on an immigrant train from New York to Chicago takes from five to six days. Numerous unnecessary stopovers are made for the benefit of hotelkeepers and 3saloonkeepers who pay railroad employees liberally for the opportunity of relieving the immigrants of their cash.

Three of the main railroad companies have agents at Castle Gardens. These roads transport the bulk of immigrants to the West. The employees of these roads are under the supervision of the Bureau of Immigration; but that governmental body apparently has no conception of its duty, which is to give immigrants all possible assistance and protection.

I gladly acknowledge that the authorities at Castle Gardens protect newcomers against the many imposters who formerly tried every means of taking advantage of the ignorance of most immigrants. However, that is but a small part of the prescribed duties of the Bureau of Immigration; and, what is more, immigrants pay for more service, for Castle Gardens is maintained entirely by the poll tax which is levied upon the immigrants and paid by them.

One of the greatest evils which prevails at Castle Gardens, an evil which 4greatly discredits the institution, is that the Bureau of Immigration has contracted with the railroads of New York for the sale of tickets to immigrants, and there is a rumor that the companies pay ten thousand dollars a year for this "privilege".

However, the Bureau neglected to include in this contract provisions to the effect that immigrants are to be transported to their ultimate destination in the United States via express trains, are to be treated humanely, and that the railroad companies represented at Castle Gardens are to assume the responsibility of transporting the baggage of immigrants on the same train on which the immigrants travel.

As a result of the previously mentioned contract the New York railroad companies gained as much control over Castle Gardens as that held by the officers of the Bureau of Immigration, and they steadfastly disclaimed all liability, save that of promptly transporting immigrants and their baggage as far as the 5immigrants traveled on the respective lines of these companies. In order to avoid complaints due to unnecessary delays, the Bureau was forced to take upon itself the responsibility for prompt service. Therefore, to expedite the forwarding of the immigrants' baggage, special transfer agents have been placed at the end of each railroad, and the salaries of these agents probably amount to more than the "easy money" which the Bureau receives from the New York railroads.

If the Bureau cares to prove that Castle Gardens exists for the benefit of immigrants, and not for the enrichment of the members of the Bureau and the railroad, it will soon put an end to the evils which we have mentioned.

I cannot understand how the Bureau of Immigration can possibly justify its action in paying the salaries of the many transfer agents with part of the poll tax, since, according to business ethics the railroads which sell tickets to immigrants thereby assume the legal obligation of rendering prompt and efficient 6service, including protection of passengers against dishonest railroad employees.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is setting a good example in good service to immigrants; this line transports them from Baltimore to Chicago in from two to three days.

In Baltimore, immigrants receive checks for their baggage, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad thus assumes the responsibility for promptness in carrying the immigrants' baggage all the way from Baltimore to Chicago, and the baggage is transported on the same train as its owners.

This Company also protects its immigrant passengers by employing agents who speak German and can thus give the immigrants the necessary instructions and directions to safeguard them against confidence men, dishonest hotelkeepers and saloonkeepers, etc. This procedure appears to be the only means of providing 7immigrants with adequate protection.

In the effort to remove all existing evils, the Board of Commissioners of Castle Gardens recommend the following measures:

1) Abolish immigrant trains and transport immigrants via express trains.

2) Make the New York roads responsible for prompt transportation of immigrants and their baggage; and force them to employ at all their terminals, agents who speak both English and German so that they can give immigrants adequate protection.