Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-24
Interesting Facts About Immigra-

ElVWs
The New York Commercial Bulletin
calls attention to the remarkable and I'M
precedented increase of European immi-
grants to that port, which within the
past three weeks has reached total OF
| Al. 46s souls. 1t is noted as very inter
esting fact by that paper that these new
corners are widely different in character
and condition from the classes that have
preceded them in former years. The
pauper element, it is gratifying to see, is
conspicuously absent. The immigrant
of to-day is, it seems, either an artisan,
mechanic, farmer or lsborer, and every
nation in Europe contributes its quota,
covering Germans, English, Irish,
Scotch, French, Danes, Normans, Firms,
Swedes, Russians, Italians, Spaniards,
Greeks, Turks, Dutch and Welsh.
1t Is also mentioned as worthy Of note
that it is mistake to suppose that these
people are entirely dependent upon
friends, or with the expectation OF
procuring immediate employment, or OF
becoming the stipeDdiaries of the Com
missioners of Emigration. While it is
true that not few bring out but
trifing amount of money and little
baggage, the vast majority of those at
present arriving are possessed Of hun
dreds of dollars, with household goods
to some extent, and, what is even better,
a perfect knowledge of a good trade.
The Chateau Laf1tte, from Bordeaux,
and the Salier, from Bremen, on Tues
day, for example, says our contemporary,
brought a number of umbrella makers,
locomotive and carriage builders,
cabinet makers, carpenters, black
smiths, gunsmiths, locksmiths'
workers in iron, cigar makers
and other mechanics. These men are
skillful handicraftsmen, and had to leave
the home countries owing to the dearness
of living and the cheapness of labor. An
intelligent German citizen, returning to
this country after an extended trip
abroad, with reference to the causes at
work to stimulate this exodus of trained
industry, said: "Things are very differ
ent in America from what they are IN
Germany or other European countries.
Here every facility is offered a man to 90
from one State to another till he ultl-
mately find remunerative field for his
labor; but there one may starve in his
native city if his work is slack. There
are no means or inducements offered
him to go further and try his fortune
elsewhere"
Attention is also called to the steady
augmentation of the Italian element as
comparatively new feature of this sea-
sons business, and that from the Swiss
cantons, too, the movement is assuming
formidable proportions. The London
Times Geneva correspondent writes,
under date of March is: eff emigration
from this country continues at its pres
ent rate for few years longer, some
districts of Switzerland will lose the
greater part of their inhabitants, if they
do not become literally depOpulated. "
The particulars for 1881 for the entire
Confederation have not yet been pub
lished, but the figures relating to Berne,
for which the statistical bureau of that
canton is responsible, show that the
movement last year was the largest on
record. The exodus for the present is
chiefly from three localities-the Ober-
land, Seeland (the neighh rhood of
Bienne) and the Jura; that IS to say.
from a part of the country where the
conditions of life are the hardest.
Commenting on these very interesting
facts, the Bulletin well says ''This con
slant subtraction of skilled labor from
many Continental manufacturing GEN.
tres can scarcely fail ere long to exercise
an important influence upon the labor
market there while its effect here, if
we'll directed, cannot fail to be in every
respect to the advantage of the country
not less than to the emigrants them
selves"