The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-10-02
THE DECLINE OF ImMIGnATIoN.


One OF the facts which needs TO be
taken into account as symptom, or
rather q result. OF the business strin-
gency and stagnation of the last four
years, is the unmistakable decline in
immigration TO this country The
largest number OF immigrants ia any
one year arrived In 1872, the number
being 449, ,483 Immigration the next
year was nearly as large, but il has fall
len off very rapidly each succeeding
year. The total immigration for 1876
was onlp l87.027. q smaller number
than In any previous year since the
war. This decrease is connected in a
marked manner with the beginning and
increase OF "hard times" in this coun-
try. II has become more and more ev-
ident year by year, since October 1873,
that our labor market was oyerstocked
at least in the varied activities Of man
ufactures and commerce. What immi-
grafton remains has been largely OF the
agricultural class, and even agricultur-
al immigration has been considerably
reduced by the alarming stories which
have been told in Europe about the
ravages of the grasshoppers and the
potato-bug. and the consequent failure
of the crops OF 1875 and 1873 on the
Western frontier The news of the
abundant and universal haryests of this
year will tend TO counteract the in in
fiuence OF these stories, and 10 stimu-
late the immigration OF agricultural la
borers and pioneers-the class Of immi-
grants which the country most needs,
and will most gladly welcome.
Under the circumstances, the general
decline in immigration is hardly 10 be
regretted. When we have already thou
sands and hundreds of thousands Of
unemployed men among us, an addi-
tion to the number of applicants for
employment is not beneficial. We of
course regret the cause OF all this, but
while il exists the decrease in immi-
grafton is 20 be welcomed rather than
deplored. OF course we except the ag-
rieultural immigrants, who come TO
build up homes for themselves on the
frontier. There is room for hundreds
Of thousands more OF these hardy pio-
neers, and they are and have been do
ing much to make Northern Michigan,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and the
Far West populous, prosperous and
vigorous.
While we are upon the subject, n
brief review OF the more significant
statistics OF immigration, compiled
from the censuses Of the United States
may be of interest. No statistics upon
this subject were preserved before 1919
but since then il has been the duty Of
collectors Of customs 10 make returns
f.ff "a ~ al 4. -
lars as TO age, sex and nationality. The
total immigration before 1919 is esti-
mated at 2e0, ,000 and upon that esti-
mate the total immigration into this
country, up TO and including 1875, is
9, 726, ,455. OF these, more than nine
millions have immigrated since 1897.
Probably, therefore, oDe-third OF the
population of the United States al pres
ent are either immigrants or the child
ren Of immigrants who came to this
country during the last forty years. -
Up 70 1926, the average immigration
was less than 10, 600 a year, and the in
crease but slight. In bS27 il was near
" doubled, and variable but constant
increase brought il up 20 go, 1S2 in 1892
Thence the increase was large, except
great necline for the year following
the panic Of 1897, and the figures in
lsll showed 10l, 1865. The next year
there was great falling off, but from
lS43 immigration grew in volume al
most every year, until, in 1854, the
number was 427, S33-the largest known
in any one year with the exception of
1872. IL fell, however, 10 less than
half that number in 1856. The follow
ing table shows the figures for the last
twenty years:
F.....- l.