Whether in possession of $50

Lists from 1903 to 1924 ask whether the passenger had $50 and, if less, how much. The answer helped show whether a newcomer could pay for travel, food and lodging until finding work, and so whether he was likely to become a public charge.

Fifty dollars was the yardstick printed on the form, not a fixed amount every person needed. Someone going to family needed less cash than someone with no one waiting. Inspectors often corrected the figure during inspection, and immigrants sometimes overstated it to look better or understated it for fear of theft, so treat it as a rough guide to a family's means.