The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-20
M.QUAp.
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TIE ITALIlNN II HOME.
They Live in Mise rable Poverty, Wretch
eddy Fed and Scantlly Clothed.

They Live in Mise rable Poverty, Wretch
eddy Fed and Scantlly Clothed.
The great masses of the people barely
make out to live. They are poorly fed,
scantily clothed and badly housed. Indian
meal, Italian chestnuts and rice, with A
little inferior fruit, constitute the staple
diet Of the majority Of the Italian peas
antry. In thousands of homes in this
heaven-faVored land, meat and wheat
bread are unknown. IL is said that the
great majority Of the poor people eat
meat but three or four times year
at the most. says brakes Magazine.
Christmas and Easter are hailed as
meat days rather than holy days. For
those who have eyes for anything but the
beauties Of art and the glories OF nature
there are no sadder sights than can be
seen in the streets OF any Italian city.
Multitudes Of human beings with pale
faces, hungry eyes and detected looks
throng all the highways Of travel. and
though begging is forbidden by law it is
almost universally practiced. Old women
and little children, the lame. the halt and
the blind, and even ablebodied men,
besiege the stranger at almost every
step.
II is generally admitted that there is no
remunerative employment in Italy, and
as a consequence there is annually a
large emigration 10 this country, Brazil
and the Argentine Republic. The emf
grants are poor, sometimes ignorant and
often vicious There are two classes OF
emigrants from Italy. the permanent and
the temporary. The temporary are those
who leave in the early spring and so
North in search Of labor. and late in the
wear return to their native land. Stats
tics show that about one hundred thou
sand laborers migrate in this way every
year.
1t is estimated that those italians who
have sought homes In America send back
to their poor relatives no less than w.
OO0. 900 every year. Italy is losing by emil
grafton about 100000 of Its population an
nually, but the natural increase of this
prolific race more than makes good the
loss. While in France deaths are in eX-
cess Of births, I'm Italy the increase OF
population is rapid in spite OF the ever
Increasing exodus. What can be done
to relieve the suffe ring masses Is prob
lem of the greatest gravity
Fortunately the climate does much TO
diminish the hardships of poverty. The
short, sunny winters, the long. pleasant
summers, enable the multitudes to live on
comparatively little. Except in cooking
their scanty meal, the poor Italians
SELDOM nave d llltf tNtH III NiiN '''A ~
weather. An American family will con-
sumo more wood and coal in one week
than the average Italian family uses in
a whole winter The cost of fuel Is so
great that n fire is considered an expen-
sive luxury. But there are days and
even weeks, during the winter, in all
parts Of Italy when khe weather is quite
cold, and at such times the suffering is
something fearful. When the people have
neither food nor fire on a cold day, their
condition is truly lamentable.
But it must be said TO the praise Of the
Italians that notwithstanding all their
burdens OF taxation. OF poverty and or
sickness they are still a cheerful and
patient race. They are sober by habit,
they are idle from necessity. II not from
choice. While this is true. II is also true
that the comforts. pleasures and enjoy
ments Of life are far greater in this coun-
try than they are In Italy.