New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-27
Occupations of Immigrants.



on this subject which we copy:
During the year 1870, the labor bureau a
Castle Garden procured employment fo
$4,000 immigrants, or about one eighth o
the whole number of arrivals. The stats
tics of the bureau. given in the annual re
port of the commissioners of immigration
suggest some interesting questions bearing
upon the wants of the labor market
Marked changes occurred last year in tn,
character of the demand for different
classes of wOrkmen. There was decided
| decrease in the engagements of unskilleG
laborers, attributable partly to the inac
| tivity prevailing in the construction of rail
| ways, and partly to the increasing influx o1
Chinese. Last fall and winter the bureau
did not receive single order for railroad
| laborers, while in the corresponding season
| OF 1869 there were numerous applications
and employment was promptly given to
large numbers of men. But the demand
for unskilled labor has decreased, loud calls
are continually made for skilled mechanics
and Swedish farmers are much sought for.
The supply OF weavers, especially women,
is wholly inadequate to the demand
The South is clamoring for labor, but we
are told that while letters from employers
in every quarter of the Southern States are
pouring into the bureau at Castle Garden
most of their offers are declined-and for a
reason which should be generally known, as
it represents fundamental and very serious
error. The bureau superintendent says:
1.-The immigrant is often unable and al
ways reluctas to pay his travelling expenses
or to support himself and, farm on shares
after reaching his destination, and this is
what the Southern employer commonly ex-
pects."
1t is obvious that this state of affairs must
continue until the Southern people adopt a
more generous system. The immigrant is,
of course, without means when he arrives
here, and, however willing, he can not ac-
cept work unless he is first enabled to reach
the spot where it Is offered to him. A small
fund in each State would serve to remedy
this drawback, and Southern EMPLOYERS
could then procure the desired help. =.
1t is interesting to study the record
which describes the occupations of the
newcomers. A majority OF the immigrants
are unskilled labOrers, who find here the
same occupations which they followed at
home, in farm work, digging, railroad
building, etc, but many thousands of others
are skilled artisans, who bring with them a
perfect knowledge of the arts of industry
Last year places were found at our labor
bureau for 345 shoemakers, l67 weavers, 81
cabinet makers, twenty three confectioners,
eightyasine carpenters, fifty y-seven puddlers,
sefeefa four iron moulders, thirty four
A8Eisfs fs,a H3 gardeners, ten wood carvers,
rightly miners, eleven spinners, forty nine
AbreU ezsgs seventy-sev bakers, thirty-four
book binders, twenty five polishers, ten en-
graSers, twenty-on fresco- -painters-and so
through catalogue of more than seventy
different trades and avOcationss Most of
these skilled artisans make better wages
here than they could have procured at
home, and the demand for men of their
class is continually increasing, keeping
pace with the growth of refined taste and
the desire for the best work in all branches
of industry.
The falling off in the number of these ar
tlsans last year was chiefly due to the war
in France, which prevented the departure
of German workmen for many months. 1t
is from this class that the ranks of the best
foreign artisans are most largely recruited,
and with the return Of peace we may ex-
pect speedy revival of their habit of seek
ing broader field. There is room here for
tens of thousands of skilled workmen, and
The demand for their services will neces-
,arlly increase in exact proportion to the |
tecay of careful training among the native |
born; the Germans especially possessing |
hat exact and practical knowledge of their |
work which can only be attained through |
ong apprenticeship and strict attention-a
process of education which has unfortuna-
ely fallen into disrepute in this country. to
he detrlment of American labor.