New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-02

The arrivals of emf grants at this port for the past
week are evidence that the tide which
has set from Europe to America for
several months. with greater force than ever
before is not growing weaker. The famine In
Ireland and Silesia the business depression in Eng
land. and the liberty loving spirit of the
Germans are given as among the principal
causes of this increased immigration. The Immi-
grafton Bill now before Congress- strongly favored
Nv men thoroughly acquainted with the subject.
who give their reasons in conversations reported
below.
VIEWS OF OFFICIALS AND OTHERS.
Great as we're the authorizations formed at
che beginning OF the year by the officials at Castle Gar
den as to the increased volume of foreign Immigration
10 the United States they have already so lar as Aprl
a concerned been far exceeded by the results with
the arrival on Friday OF the Belgenland. from Ant
yerp with 026 immigrants; the Nevada, from
Liverpool. with $50; the Alsata from Glas-
cow with 574; the General Werder from
Bremen with 474 ana the Cornwall from Bristol with
33; the total arrivals on seventyOne steamships our
ing April G14s, which is 3iO5 in excess OF hose
of April 1873 the largest number ever before anuVu
at this port during any one month. This makes the
Grand total for the first four months OF 1880
81 262 as against the period in 1873 OF 699ol
1870 1882; 1877, 1866 1873 l4'4ZSi 1899
22,sI4 uu
(;rent as the foregoing results arc there IS every
1POba
month A reporter OF THE TRIBUNE in an interview
with SUPERINTENDENT of the Emigration Depart
n,ent H. J. Jackson, to whom the Commissioners always
refer seekers for information as the encycope ia VI i
migration statistics, obtained the following views:
What has been your observation OF tie emlgranS a
rivnr the past month as compared with your previous
experience :" 49,.
The striking character OF those arriving is the
large proportion Of hardy young people, many
Of them Scandinavians, who como mere ue'er-
mined by hard work to establish new anu pros
nervous homes in America. They belong chiefly
10 the agricultural classes of the Scandinavian
countries and will probably do great credit TO them
selves and the Western States Each day witnesses The
arrival of immigrants, chiefly young men and women
whose appearance denotes that they are removed eon
sideraby above the lnborinc classes Ihere Is
also n large proportion of young men WHO arc
stil.d artisans from the German States, and
who have left their country to escape the
operation Of the new military laws 1ue
urncpal motive of the considerable sprinknS OF
scanduavans for leaving the land OF thelr Dirth Is
that they may improve their condition. grathylng
fact concerning the immigrants coming Is that tDey
have fully informed themselves TO the resources
of the country before securing passage, and
as proof Of this, July OO per cen'
Of those coming have purchased tnroush
tickets to such parts OF the west as tney III
tend TO settle in large number come here with stih
cient capital purchase or partly purchase parcels OF
land They pass right through TO their Destination ana
are fully Informed as the best means OF reaching
there Many of the Irish immigrants are attracted by
the Irish Catholic Colony at St. Paul. MIMI ana lnteno
TO form similar colonies"
.What Is the approximate proportion OF natlonatfes
represented among the immiGrantsV
ait is difficult to say with degree OF dchniteness
what the percentages are the immigration has been
30 very large that limited force OF clerks mas not
been able to keep up with the statistieul
work Judging, however, from the percentages az
January February and March, about 80 per
cent are Germans 20 per cent Irish and the rest are
Scandtuaviaus, Swedes, HuDGarians English, Scotch
Italians French Poles etc The percentage Of Italians
and French is much less than heretofore"
'You have been troubled much in the past Win pau
pers: do YOU find that they still cOmingT
"The number of paupers seems to be much less now
than last yearI mean Of those sent here by foreign
authorities. We took as stringent measures as
laid in cur limited powers last year and sent
many Of them back, and this may account for
the decrease in their numbers. We have, how
ever, large number OF penniless' half-statved
immigrants aud their families coming here, dressed IN
sheepskn clothing, who are technically known as
sloyaks About $50 OF this class arrived on tho steam
ship Baltimore, from Bremen, on Thursday They have
been driven from their homes by famine, resulting from
the destruction Of their crops by floods. They
appear TO he hardy class Of people, the women work
equally with the men, and all they ask is to be
ployed We have sent number OF them to the
coal and iron in Pennsylvania others
DrckyaruS
and they appeared give satisfaction. We aso had
large number Of destitute Prussian Poles landed
here on Thursday In general however the emigration
appears 10 be recruited from the very best Of the
agricultural and working classes OF Europe"
DESTINATION OF THE IMMIGRANTS.
"You seem to emphasize the fact that about GO per
per cent OF the immigrants to the western lands do
mono OF them South P
OTIS noticeable that larger percentage are going
westwardly. They know That tho cities are over
crowded, aud do not care to stop IN thein
Despite all the efforts made by the Southern coonlza-
ton boards and societies. European Immigrants seem
TO be going South 1t may be said that none
of the care settle III the Southern States
or to make any inquiries about them. A
few have gone to South Carolina and GeOr-
Ca but they are mostly Irish, and 1t is ex-
ceptional that Germans 60 there. Immigrants
nrc being every nducomcnt to 10 Georgia. ana
10 locate colonies on tho Savannah, FLORIDA and
Western RsiIoad Land is offered at low
price and on easy terms, and reduced transpOr-
tatiOn, but they do not take to tho bait.
large majority Of the immigrants have sold their
homes 10 Europe and here with the money TO
seek permanent and fixed homes for life. The amount
brought by each Immigrant varies fiOm less than
hundred UP to thousands OF dollars hut II safely be
estimated that It will average $50 per head. II
should have immigration this year amounting 10
100000 which is altogether probable this would bring
S1sOOO0O into the country to be put into circulation
and TO remain here"
"In what proportion the Eastern States benefited
by the Immigration"
.'There IL probably 40 per cent OF the immigration
which remains here TO be distributed between New
York Pennsylvania and the Eastern States principally
Massachusetts and Connecticut. The poorest stop IN
New.York Among the skilled artisans arc a large
number of silk weavers, mill hands, glass workers, etc.
md many OF these had their passage paid to their
destination by friends already in this country. The
immigrants could not have come here In more au-
spicious time than The demand for
labor is very great everywhere, and applica-
lions for mechanics. female servants, miners,
weavcrs and other trades people are flowing in
daily from North, South East aud West Here IRE let
ters from Vermont Connecticut. Wisconsin and other