The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-02-16
Financial Value Of Immigration.

No subject connected with our na-
| tiOnal growth has been more popular
with orators, statisticians, and news
papers, than Immigration and its
| great value to the country. Every
one that you meet would be prepared
| to maintain that it has been one the
chief elements in the country's de-
velopment; yet it is doubtful if one
person in a hundred has any apprOxi-
mately accurate conception of what it
really has been worth to US. The
Hon. Frederick Knapp, than whom
there is no better authority on the
subject, observes in recent report /:
" Without immigration the yearly in
crease of population by excess of births
over deaths, is about 1.30, while the
actual increase from 1910 to 1860 was
| 81. .88, and from 1850 to 1860 $3.50 per
cent. and we must understand that
large proportion of the births are
| those of the children of former immi-
grants. Had immigration been stop
ped in 1925, there would have been
| very little numeral change in the pop
ulation in 1855. immigration, there
fore, has pushed the country forward
/ forty years in national progress; and
| the increase in all departments of ma
tional progress has been in exact ratio
to the increase of population" We
may add that without immigration,
the vast area beyond the Alleghanies,
now occupied by prosperous common
wealths, and teeming with wealth,
would be as sparsely inhabited as Ne
braska and the territories are to-day,
and it is extremely improbable tbat
our western boundary would have
been pushed beyond the Mississippi.
! 1t is immigrants that are filling up
| the Great West at the present mo-
ment, and rendering it possible to con-
struct the continental railroads
which are destined in time to give us
the commercial supremacy of the
world.
AS to the strictly financial valu e
of immigration, all will cOncede that
an immigrant is worth precisely as
much to the country as it would cost
20 produce a native-born laborer of the
same average ability. 1t is computed
that an average American farmer or
skilled IabOrer costs about 81, 800 be-
fore he becomes self-suppOrting tut
for various reasons not necessary to
recite here, Mr.. Knapp estimates the
value of each immigrant at 81, ,225.
Now there came into the country
during the last year (1S70) according
to official returns, 280, 27S immigrants
who, at the average rate named above,
/ added the enormous sum of S316, 6,312,
$50 to the aggregate wealth of the ma
ton. This was for one year only, it
is to be recollected, and for a year
which fell much below the average.
The total number of immigrants who
have come into the country since the
I formation Of the government have
been a little over 10000, 600. Mr..
Young, of the Bureau of Statistics al
Washington, differs a little from Mr.
Manipulating the average value Of
an inn migrant at $500; but even at the
latter figures the total of value reach
es the stupenduoGs SUM of $6, ,24S,
, O92, 900.
StilI another fact remains to be con-
, sidered before you can arrive at con-
eeptiOn of what our Immigration Il
really worth to as. The above figures
startling as they are, only indicate the
value of the Immigrants brain anC
muscle in the way of future produc
tiyeness. But careful records have
been kept, and these show that eact
T Immigrant bridns with him about $6l
in cash, with a yearly immigration o
800, GOO, amounts to SIS, 100000 an
nually. The Germans alone bring
| into the country S11, 100000 on al
average every year.
With such 3 source Of wealth-in
4 6nitelv more valuable than all the
I cold and silver mines and petroleum
I wells in the land--it isssno wonder tha
: the United States progress with thi
{ enormous strides that have character
Q lied their past history, But when w
q Hook upon a man like Carl SchuFZ
. and recollect that the ancestors @
. most of our leading men came owe
| but short time ago, who will den.
y that the financial is at fractions
. part of the real value Of immigration
a = Western World.