Council of Women for Home Missions

“ The Clothing of the Immigrants
at Ellis Island, N. Y.
One of the most important items in the work of the missionaries at Ellis Island is the work of providing suitable clothing and shoes for the many aliens detained at the Island. Only by strict adherence to certain principles can the work be a real success. The first of these principles is: Never give an alien that which is beneath his dignity to wear or to use. This may sound strange, but is nevertheless very important. All the aliens, except stowaways and warrant cases, bring their wearing apparel with them. ”

“ The relatively small volume of immigration now coming in, while making less immediate demands upon us, affords peculiar advantages for study of the problems involved, for conference with Government officials, and for development, readjustment and organization of the missionary force. At the end of a year of inquiry and effort along these lines, having all the time in view the larger field of our work across the country, your Committee hopes to be able to report substantial progress and to suggest how further to profit by the ground gained in the inquiries of last year and the year to come. ”

“ For some of these there is doubtless occasion, but one who has the opportunity to see the Ports of Entry service in all its phases through a series of months, will be convinced that honesty, carefulness and kindness characterize the method and manner of the Government officials and employees, and that nowhere else is the immigrant received more humanely and treated more kindly and courteously than at our Ports of Entry. ”

“ Where there is a number of missionaries there is always the danger of overlapping in the distribution of gifts.
At Ellis Island a clothes room of moderate proportions is in use. It is divided into sections, and clothes are kept separately for men, women, and children. Shoes and other things have their proper places. A great deal of valuable time is consumed in sorting out the things which are utterly unfit to give away. We cannot insist too strongly upon the necessity of not sending things which are useless, worn out, or ridiculous. ”

“ In Ellis Island, during the year, 7,807 men were helped; 4,302 were given introductions to inland Associations; 1,644 were tied up to relatives and friends, and 250 appeals were made in behalf of the detained. Similar services were rendered men landing in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco. The Association has this year found exceptional opportunities for service among men who could neither land nor leave. Port secretaries have assumed the responsibility of landing many of these people, found them employment, and reported regularly to the Immigration Commissioner concerning them. ”

“ The fact that organization and cooperation in this work is almost universally regarded as essential to the permanent establishment of any large service for the Immigrant, and especially is this true of the missionary work. It is quite generally regarded that lack of system is a great hindrance to the comprehensive effectiveness of this very important phase of the service rendered for the arriving Immigrant. ”

“ In Gloucester they have a very well-equipped building with offices for administration, sleeping rooms for detained immigrants, dining room and small rooms for special hospital cases. Until the new hospital is built, most of the hospital patients are sent to different hospitals in the city. There is also here a pier containing three acres on which is to be built a Receiving Station to allow all immigrants to be examined at Gloucester. The equipment of the building at Gloucester in every particular is modern and of the very best. ”

“ Some of the aliens will not accept for instance an old lady's overcoat which was worn 20 years ago. Of such we receive quite an overwhelming number. Others cling strongly to their home fashions and will only accept such things as in some manner correspond to their accustomed styles. The second principle is: to give only to the really needy. Caution is necessary. Some immigrants are greedy, they accept everything which is offered, put it into their hampers, and keep on wearing their old worn-out duds in the hope of receiving still more gifts. ”

“ As for those who are detained and designated for "special inquiry," our duties in their behalf are more complicated and often difficult and sad. Appeals must be written in many cases. Where the exclusion is mandatory, we have special opportunity for the specifically pastoral and consolatory offices in presence of bitter disappointment and sometimes heart-broken sorrow. Many are the physical needs also, of the detained, and those to be deported; indeed, the only limitation on service of this sort is the worker's time and strength. ”

“ The daily visits of the missionaries in the hospital wards on Ellis Island have proved a great blessing and a help to the immigrants. We are also in various ways helpful to the doctors and nurses in their attentions to the patients, and very often act as an interpreter. The missionaries are particularly responsible for those people in whose languages they are able to converse. ”

“ Warrant cases, since they have been in this country and know how to dress, are quite particular. The average alien will not look with favor upon any person who offers him a garment which is worn out, or which he would be ashamed to wear at home. ”

“ Another principle is to study the social training and tastes of the immigrants and if they need clothes give such things as will make their appearance more respectable. One of the purposes of the clothes department is: to have the alien appear before the Board of Special Inquiry as neat and respectable looking as possible, so that he may be judged as he would look under ordinary circumstances, not as he arrives after a lengthy trip in the steerage. ”

“ It is our duty to recognize the value of their offering in terms of manhood and womanhood and not merely in terms of finance and business, and to so discharge the responsibility involved in opening our gates, as to help them to properly appreciate their privilege and opportunity, and to make possible the realization of their ideals. ”

“ The missionaries at Ellis Island not infrequently write the appeals, endeavoring to bring out points in the cases which strengthen the appellants' cause.
They also make petitions for hospital treatment for such unappealable cases as sufferers from trachoma, hookworm, etc. This treatment, if allowed by the Secretary of Labor, is at the expense of the aliens' relatives. If the afflicted person is cured, he or she is, if otherwise eligible to land, admitted to the country. ”

“ All other Societies and Agencies have rather definitely systematized their work. This fact appeals to the Government officials and enables these Societies to have recognition and consideration by Federal and Municipal authorities and other agencies interested in the formation of any comprehensive scheme for the protection of the Immigrant.
3. In every Port the officials bear fine testimony to the very useful service rendered by the Christian missionaries. But even so their estimate is based on the social and humanitarian side of the work, and not on the spiritual phase of their service. ”

“ The literature distributed in general should be interdenominational and not of a proselyting nature. (4) The New York Bible Society and the American Tract Society are requested to supply missionaries with literature for distribution in hospitals and detention rooms. (5) The Home Missions Council is requested to supply special tracts for young men and young women with advice for immigrants in general. (6) The Home Missions Council is requested to supply the detained immigrants with daily papers, periodicals and if possible with library books. ”

“ There is clothing to supply for those sometimes wretchedly clad, and even barefooted on the cold stone floors, and there are errands to run for many a humble requirement. Then there is the often sad office of messenger between the sick in the immigrant hospital and their relatives detained on the main island, and sometimes a burial to conduct when the entrance to the land11 of hope has been shadowed by some dear one's death. For some time after they have left Ellis Island, we maintain a "follow-up" correspondence with many whom we meet.
Ellis Island Committees
1. ”

“ As they see us talking to other patients, they find confidence and take courage among the strangers, and wait anxiously our return. We visit all the wards in the hospital except the contagious hospital, where the missionaries are allowed only by special permission from the Superintendent or doctors. ”

“ We do not, however, venture at this time to suggest a program so elaborate nor a task so comprehensive for the Council's representative. We review in effect our recommendation of last year that the Council proceed conservatively and that effort for the coming year be limited in the main to the ports of entry. ”

“ The dining room especially, is fitted up in the very best approved style; it is large enough to allow two hundred to eat at one time. The walls and floor are cement; the tables and seats are metal, so that the entire room can be washed out with hose, as the floor slopes toward a drain in which is carried off all the water. ”

“ Twenty different societies are represented at this port by missionaries or agents. Fourteen of these may be called strictly religious societies. The work is carried on here about the same as at Boston and Ellis Island. There is no definite plan for following up the work after the immigrants leave Philadelphia. Those who remain in Philadelphia are visited as far as possible and their addresses are given to the workers of the nearest church or mission. ”

“ We bring tags, picture books, dolls and other little gifts to the sick and lonesome children. To the adults we carry newspapers and magazines in different languages, books, gospels and tracts. On Christmas we place trees in the different wards and give appropriate presents to all the patients. The missionaries communicate with the relatives or friends of the sick aliens. In case of death they assist in every way possible. Pastors often officiate at the funeral services.
Martha M. Troeck,
Chairman of Hospital Committee. ”

“ II. The Duty of the Committee:
(1) To see that the literature distributed is suitable. (2) If special kind of literature is needed to outline its character. (3) To see that immigrants, both outgoing and detained, are supplied with needed literature. (4) To see that the literature distributed is evangelical and undenominational.
III. Literature is Distributed:
(1) In the Railroad Rooms. (2) In the Detention Rooms, where immigrants are detained in large numbers, sometimes for months. (3) In the hospitals, where many immigrants are detained and literature is most welcome. ”

“ For the Purpose of Examining and Inspecting Immigrants our country is divided into twenty-two Immigration Stations with headquarters at
Montreal, P. Q., Canada Canadian border and Canadian seaports Boston, Mass. Subports of Portland and New Bedford Ellis Island, New York Harbor New York and New Jersey; immigration matters only 17 State Street, New York. Chinese matters only Philadelphia, Pa. ”

“ The average alien has13 a great deal more knowledge and taste than he is credited with by the donors in various churches. Shoes and clothes ought to be at least in good repair. It would be far better to send fewer and better things, than to send great boxes of indifferent material. ”

“ Underwear, suitable to the season of year, shoes of large proportions, men's overcoats, socks and stockings for all, infants' outfits for the newly born, and children's clothes are always welcome and appreciated. ”

“ The Episcopal and Lutheran workers usually send the names and addresses of those immigrants who are connected with their churches to the pastors in the towns or cities to which these immigrants are going. ”

“ National and Philanthropic Societies: Of which there are eleven, accredited with ten missionaries. These include such societies as the Polish National Alliance, the Slavonic Immigrant Society, the Travelers' Aid Society, the Austrian Society of New York, etc.
2. Jewish Societies: Three accredited with three workers. The burden of this work falls upon the Hebrew Sheltering and Aid Society, which has six regular workers.
3. Catholic Societies: Of which there are four, accredited with eight workers, including five priests. Italian immigrants are particularly cared for under this group by the St. ”