The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-18
THE ITALIAN "SCANDAL."
Defence Of Italy and the Italian Emig.ants
by the Italian Consul General
ne Commissioners of Emigrationrand of Chari-
ues-Frauds Of Emigration Agents-The
Right Of Italians to Emigrate-Complaint
Of Want Of Benevolence ia Americans.

CONSULATE GENERSL OF ITALY IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Dec. &c. 1872.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The persistent Misrepresentation attending the
italian emigration to this port make IL incumbent
on me to submit once for all, to the unprecedented
SppinioB OF the American public the real condition
OF affairs.
To merely suppose that the government of His
Majesty the King OF Italy looks favoraoly, or even
indife rentiy on this exodus is not to know or to
ignore the actual state OF Italy and its vital inter-
.ests The agriculture OF the Southern provinces is
now suffering heavily from the want Of la
borers consequent upon the large emigration,
especially for South America, which the Itahan
press characterizes as a scourge, and calls unan
mously upon the public for united efforts to pre-
vent Those who assume that the government
could and ought to interfere seem not to be aware
shat Italy is free country and that the right to
change domicle is sacred there as in the United
States for all It's citizens, let them be rich or poor,
educated or iiterate. Let us suppose that month
ago a telegram had reached New York announcing
that by q decree of the italian government emil
grafton to America had been forbidden. How
would the news have been received by the press
and public opinion in this country Would not the
measure have been denounced as tyrannical and
ilegalS The American people, who enjoy all the
blessings Of freedom, TOO generous 10 wish for
is monopoly. They ought to applaud and not to
blame the Italian government; and, in truth, 1t
cannot be consistently explained, this clanor
against a government which puts no obstacle upon
emigration with the strong disapprobation ex-
pressed by the American press, not long ago,
against another European government for endeav
oring TO cneck 1t; or is it TO be presumed that
the United states laws in regard to emgrants
have only partial bearing Oh some natonalities,
and not Others ana that there are pariahs
among nations 30 whom the shores Of the Hudson
are iQrb
Indian pariahs2
All that the Italian government could do was to
require tue emigrants to comply with certain con-
dt9ns before granting them the The passport esps-
where, III absence Of protective Italian societies.
there exists comI arativey greater difficulty in OBJ
tanning employment than in South America AS
general measure these have to prove that they are
possessed OF means sufficient to live FOR some Tune
after landing that they have relations here able to
take care Of them. But everybody knows how easy
1t is to evade such requirements by false repre-
sensations or by declaring different destination
or even by leaving Italy without any passport at
all. II must be borne in mind that Italy has no
port on the Atlantic. A man or number OF men
lake the passport for South America and go to
Hayre or liverpool whence they proceed, instead
case with many Of these newly arrived Italians,
who came here with passports S,a,s. delivered
what route the entrants have 70 proceed
It mas no jurisdiction do not think that the
Italian emigrants coming direct from Italian
commissioners OF Emigration any more expense
Or annoyance than the best class OF those rom
j viii now examine with calmness In what con-
ssts the great scandal attributed to TINS Italian
such an unprecedented hostility.
II am not mistaken, the main accusation re-
snt II they " were not 50 they would not have emf
grated. 1t Is well known that those who are rlch
do not leave it-let them be German, Irish, Scan
1inavan or ltalian-except Tor reasons OF trade or
is not an absolute fact but relative to the country
in which one lives. Thus, for instance a man
esapo DC dsooss or 100 aes wee aV
he would be considered such II unable to dispose
cannot see how the RESTITUTION OF these may be
called scandaous, and how their poverty differs so
materially from that OF the greatest portion Of
them TO the same eager hospitality afforded to
those, who are perhaps even poorer than them
selves.
Mr.. Frederick. kapp, q distinguished writer
on the subject and lately Commissioner
development OF the United States, in his
remarkable work on immigration, published in 1870
thus expresses himself:-"rhe territory which
constitutes the present United States owes its
wonderful DEVELOPMENT mainly to the confux Of
the poor and outcast OF Europe within IT,
The end which the Legislature OF New York had
In view in adopting the act OF May s. ls47 by which
Of the Communication money Tor all immigrants
were established, was what Mr.. Kapp himself de-
fines as follows:-"The problem to DE solved was
toprotect the new conner, to prevent him from be-
ing robbed, to facilitate his passage through the
city 10 the interior, to aid him with good advice
and, in cases OF most urgent necessity to furnish
MIN with small amount OF moEey-in short not
TO treat him as q pauper with the ultimate view OF
making him inmate Of the amshouse, hut az
an independent citizen, whose future career would
become interviewer with the best interests OF
the country
On carefully examining the foregoing act do
not hnd any exception IN regard TO immigrants en-
tirely destitute OF means. All Unfortunately,
with or without means are TO be received on the
payment OF the communication money ana then ut
fOr the maintenance OF such OF the persons for
whom Communication money shall have been paid as
aoresald,' lsec; W., act 5tn May, 1870. Superin-
tendent Kennedy, the predecessor OF Mt. Cassc.ly,
IN his report of January H. 1858 clearly states that
part Oh the immigration is always among that
class OF persons who seek refuge these shores
and subsistence by labor with little OF no cash
means
Some OF the papers, speaking OF my interviews
with reporters, say that do not meet the fact that
large number OF these Italian emigrants are de-
pendent on the Commissioners OF Charities OF
course have not and do not intend to meet it.
Knowing, as do, the less that these laborers and
artlzans are to my country and the benefit that
country Ike this will derive from them, where the
demand for labor is always greater than the sup
ply, nave no hesitation in declaring openly that
the temporary expenses incurred IN supportng
them can be considered good investment for the
country which defrays them. Allow me to give the
following calculation
Several estimates have been made OF the average
capital value OF each immigrant to this country both
AZ producer and consumer. Mr.. Kapp puts it at
SLID. Mr.. {. l.. Brace, IN an able article published
In the tribune OF November 3, 1862 reduces 1t TO
$1,000; the Bureau of STATISTICS in washington puts
IL sui oWcr-at SSJu. L take tliS csliidte al
q basis, and making the most liberal allowance
say OF 100 per cent-to meet any possible deprecla-
tion in the Individual worth OF these Italians, fix
the average in their case at s425 suppose, on
the other side, that each OF them may be dependent
on the Commissioners OF Emigration or the chart
table Institutions for three months from date
0farrival At the rate oforty or fortytwo cents Tor
their daily maintenance eacn OF them would cost
1876 to $40 leaving a margin in favor OF the United
States OF 1885 per caput-yz., $477,50O for 900 OF
them or proht OF IyS per cent OIL the capital IN
vested.
deem II uncecessar, TO correct in this comp1,l-
nlcaton all the exaggerated statements which
have been made in regald TO the high rate OF pasr
sage loss OF luggage, deception as to tber destinae
ton, &c, as | have already furnished several re.
porters with information on the subject. Some
1mpOsitICns on their 0rednlity, and IN a