The immigration offices and statistics from 1857 to 1903 Part 1

The immigration offices and statistics from 1857 to 1903.

by Argentine Ministry of Agriculture.

Duties of the Immigration Department subject to which immigrants can avail themselves of the benefits of the Immigration Law

The Immigration Department under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture, has the direction of all relating thereto in the Argentine Republic, and is organized to correspond to the special services related to it, which are ruled by the organic Law of 16th. October 1876.

Managing Staff in Buenos Aires

The managing staff is composed of a Chief and a head clerk, and further more the Secretary's Department, Archives, Accountants Department, Treasury, Statistics, Interpreters office for verbal information and foreign correspondence, Disembarking office, Labour and Forwarding office, Immigration Hotel, Hospital and Medical service, and Post and Telegraph office, all of which are established in Buenos Aires.

Auxiliary Commissions in all the Argentine Territory

To attend the requirements of the service in the Interior, there are 42 Auxiliary Commissions established in the princ.i.p.al cities and towns of importance.

(Articles 6, 7 and 8, Chapter III of the Law.)

Archives

In the Archives of the Department, a careful Register is kept of all administrative papers, studies, observations and doc.u.ments of ships transporting immigrants, and a list of all those entered since the year 1857.

Accountant's and Treasury Departments

The Accountant's Department and the Treasury have under their charge the financial part of the administration and keep account of all amounts spent in lodging and transport of immigrants and their baggage, payment of wages to employes and other expenses. (Article 3 paragraph 13.)

Statistics

The Statistical Office keeps minute statistics of the immigrants arriving in the country, cla.s.sifying annually and monthly the arrivals and departures of steamers, stating date, flag, number of pa.s.sengers and immigrants with a summary of the immigration movement; steamers inspected, ports of procedure, cla.s.sification of immigrants according to nationality, profession, s.e.xe, age; monthly, annually and quinquennially; s.e.xagenarians entered; births and deaths on board, immigrants entered at the Hotel and settling of immigrants in the interior.

Interpreters Office

In the Interpreters office there are employes who speak several languages: verbal information is given to all immigrants who ask for it. It provides information regarding lands offered for sale and has charge of the foreign correspondence.

Labour and Forwarding Office

The Labour and Forwarding Office receives inquiries for workmen from all parts of the country, and, according to such inquiries, undertakes the placing of the immigrants who come to the Hotel, asking for lodging and employment. This office provides the immigrants with the information they solicit about the different districts of the country, means of communication, wages etc. It undertakes the forwarding of the immigrants and their distribution in the regions to which they desire to be sent, and all other work connected with these services. (Articles 9, 10 and 11 and 48 to 54 of the Law.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Immigrants Hotel in Buenos Aires View taken from the River]

Landing Superintendents

The Disembarking Office consists of Inspectors who go on board the vessels to receive and cla.s.sify the immigrants, and see if the ships have complied with the conditions of the Law regarding vessels carrying immigrants, and also to impede the entry of those which said Law prohibits (Chapter VI, Articles 18 to 37 and the Regulation agreed upon of 4th. March 1880.)

Immigrants Hotel or Home

Those who avail themselves of the benefits of the Law, are lodged in the Immigrants Hotel whilst work is procured for them, which is done immediately.

The Hotel is provided with the accommodation and service necessary to meet this requirement.

It has separate dormitories for each s.e.x, ample dining rooms, lavatories, and a police service to contribute in maintaining order and also a corps of firemen to prevent conflagrations. (Chapter VIII of the Law, Articles 42 to 47.)

Hotel Interpreters

The Hotel is provided with interpreters of all languages, to mediate between the immigrants, and the Hotel employes and the Labour and Forwarding Office.

Medical a.s.sistance

Sick immigrants and members of their families are attended at all hours by the Medical staff of the Hotel, which is further more provided with an Infirmary supplied with all the most necessary medicaments.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Immigrants Hotel in Buenos Aires View taken from the City]

Customs Service

To facilitate the despatch of immigrants baggage, the Custom House has an office in the Hotel which carrys out all the corresponding operations.

By means of this organization, which meets all the exigencies of the immigration in the Argentine Republic, the immigrants are given all the advantages accorded by the Immigration Law hereunder transcribed.

ARTICLES OF THE IMMIGRATION LAW IMPORTANT FOR IMMIGRANTS TO KNOW

CONCERNING THE LABOUR OFFICES

Art. 9.--The Immigration-Office in Buenos Aires and the Commissions at their various head quarters shall, whenever it may be necessary, have placed under their direct control a Labour and Employment-Office to be served by such a number of clerks as may be fixed in the Budget.

Art. 10.--These Offices are bound and empowered:

1. To attend to such applications of teachers, artisans, journeymen or workmen as may be sent in to them.