The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-06-16

wRoLEsALE. ENnaeAEIoN no AMERIcA.

tba, fortunes of Germany seen to, have
reached the top Of the wkesI.,the number
aud Of seeking homo in the Far West is
greater than 1t has ever been at any former
period. The. emigration question Is assum-
ing very.sertous Dimensions for some parts
Of the kingdom Of Prussia, but moro -es.
Rsciaily the provinces of Pomerania; West
Prassfa, and the moro northerSy districts of
fosen. In most Of the villages in the first.
mentioned province, many Of the peasants'
homes are either: empty or being pulled
down, and the small proprietors are selling
for twenty five per cent underreeent value
IN order to realize quickly and reach the
iaed Of promise, with the least possible
delay. Little holdings, which onlye short
time ago were very much in demand, are
new . mere drug ia the market, and it 10
difficult to find purchasers ut any price,
q Pomersoian landowner writes that his
own village, which 10 only very little
ones had lost Thirty of Its most able labor
err on tne let of April, and that, another
Loaf al its inhabitants except three dami.
lice bat these intended to follow the lead
In q few weeks. The, piaee wnutd
then become . = deserted viilsge," in the
stricteat sense, though mot at all like that
ef Goldsmith'st Sweet Auburn,n., as tho
dasestaen is not ooea:ionsd- By. the rich
naAaas vanity OF b park, but H. 6rsstly
against biz twiahes and interests. He would
gladly keep HE poorer sezghbors with him
9he ooald, TOR. with them his wealth will
emigrats, toos Ii ID easy TO, obtain ocular
ASSASSINATION Of the height Of the present
emisratsoa fever iby- paying an evening
st1A4 to the Potsdam or Hamburg railw way
station. At the former have often seen
hnndseds Of emiszants encamping on the
tnrc boards, sitting on their luggage, sur.
rounded by the wreck of their household
gods, and soothing their babies, while
waiting for the next train for Bremen,
whore they will embark for America. The
one Of pity, but 1t is certainly very much
misplaced, a. the emigrants are for the
most part extremely happy In the hopes
that have prompted their steps, aud which
In most cases are falflled. This ever-in-
creasing exodus 10 . great misfortune for
tho country-as least for those who stay
behind in it--as it involves o great loss Of
national wsaitt; but for smigrants them
selves the gain is not inoonsiderable.' This
10 proved by the fact that the emigration
fever generally exhibits itself a. An cpl
demie. One man caught by the ag gent and
sent out becomes . decoy bird Tor the whole
village, perhaps whole district and the
in . couple Of years will draw all his family
and half his acquaintances after him. The
argument which will fret suggest itself to
the political economist is that If the land
owner wishes to keep bis laborers he must.
improve their position by giving them bet
ter wages. Facts, however, are directly
opposed to this theory, as it is precisely
the laborers are tho most literally paid
that the tide of emigration sets In the
strongest. The reason IL that the higher
the wages the sooner the laborer has the
sum required for his passage and drst set
element 10 his new homes and when that is
lSnf.A 1 Co. Pnk In ~
ner it has actually become the landlords
private interest not to treat his men too
we'll, lest he should furnish them with the
wings for their flight. Such a motive for
keeping wages down is, of course, q very
low and immoral one; but it.caunot fail to
exert some force. On the other hand, it
cuts. two ways, as it makes the contrast
greater between the laborer's own position
and the picture sent back to him of that of
his old friends who have already crossed
the Atlantic. II, again, the political econ
omist should urge that there must be a cer-
'tain limit, or rather amount of improve
nient in the laborer's position, which would
induce him to remain at home, the answer
b that to reach that limit would inv olve
the payment Of such wages as would com-
pletefy rain the landhofder. This brings
us to The real seat Of the evil, In as far as
it can be considered as one. The price of
land in Germany, at least in some parts of
laVcIy uoO 'Uccu LOV n very fargo
number OF estates have changed hands,
and the sumo paid wore such as not 70
leave the farmer q sufficient margin for
working capital. This 10 all the more IN.
fortunate because by far the greater part OF
the land is farmed BY the proprietors, little
and great, and not leased 10 tenants. In
order to And the original purchase money
and retain enough capital for working ex-
peases, many have been Obliged to mort
gage heavily In the Arst instance; and thus
Comparatively slight depreciation in the
value of landed prrperty, involves for them
the loss Of their all. Unless. however,
some unforeseen circumstance should check
the present westward current, land must
fall in sie depopulated districts, and then,
perhaps, the new corners, who will have
bought cLeaply, may be able to pay the
next generation wages sufficiently attract
i've to keep it at home; but in the mean
time the smail landed proprietors will have
suffered severely: Some, indeed, are al
ready following the example of their men,
and emigrating too. The Pomeranian Ag
rioulturai Society, at recent meeting held
at Stettin, passed two resolutions from
which ii hOnes for acme relief Tn the frat