The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-04-10
Italian LabOreTs.
(Concluded.)


The emigrants from the north OF
Italy, except from the provinces OF
Podua, Treviso and Rovigo, nearly
always have sufficient money for
their journey; often enough for
their return; and some carry an
additional amount for emergencies.
Those from the provinces above
named, as we'll as from Southern
Italy, rarely have enough for their
journey after selling their cottages
and their cattle. In general, how
ever, there is disinclination among
emigrants to sell what little land
they may possess, and thus actually
separate themselves from their ma
tive country. They either let it or
leave it to those of their family who
stay behind. Very often they are
obliged to. borrow money for the
expenses of their outward journey.
Sometimes they borrow in common,
with mutual guaranty for payment;
and, according to the reports of
some of the syndics, have been
forced to pay usurious interest as
high as SO per cent.
Of late years some Of the South
Anne rican governments have offered
special inducements for emigration
this is particularly the case with
Brazil, and emigrants to the pro-
vince of S. Paolo have been given a
free passage and subsidy on their
arrival. It is to the provinces of S.
Paolo and Rio Grande do sui that
Italian immigration is chiefly di-
rected. Unfortunately, owing to
Encouragement, very many emf
grants accept these propositions
without their contracts being in
proper form. The local authorities
refuse to do anything for them
they are reduced to extreme misery
and large numbers of them have just
been sent home to Italy at the ex
pense of the government. Similar
misadventures have befallen emf
grants to Mexico and Costa Rics
who had accepted the offers of pri
vate companies. 1t is in part te
remedy this state of things that the
law on emigration was recently
passed by the Italian parliament
While this law seems we'll devised
for putting an end to importations
practiced on Italian emigrants by
agents and contractors, it is also de
signed to hinder the emigration Of
the better elements of the popula
ton; especially Of young men il
robust health and possessing the
elements of education, and parti
cularly those fit for military anG
naval service. It is harmful to oul
interests in exactly the proportion
that it is advantageous to Italy. L
deprives us of the better class of i'm
mi grants; we shall, therefore, have
to use the greater vigilance in pre-
venting the immigration of persons
whom we do not want. At the same
time the provisions of this law woulc
render it comparatively easy fol
us to satisfy ourselves as to the char
acter and condition of the intending
emigrants before their departure fol
America"
Here follows three tables of stats
tics to show the character of thu
emigration to the United States. HI
calls attention to the fact that by
far the greater part Of this comes
from South Italy-viz., about IS pei
cent of the whole" AS we are in
terested by the present proposition
in Northern Italy only I will Civ,
figures of the compartment of Pied
mont and Liguria only. Of these
the chief cities respectively are
Turin and Genoa, situated in pro
vinces of the same name, and thes,
are given also.
TABLE c. ITALIAN EMIGRATION, SHOWING
AGE AND sEX-YEAR 1887,
ch;,aro,,