The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-18

AS the United Kingdom is one Of the four
great feeders OF the United States-Ger-
many, Scandinavia. and Italy being the
other thrce-it is of interest to learn to
what extent. if any, its own population is
rcplcnishcd by an inflow from other coun-
tries. Much light has recently been thrown
on this subject by the wcll-known English
statistician. Mr.. ROBERT GIFFEN. in a re-
port to the Board OF Trade. The two sets
of tables which he has compiled set forth
respectively the trans-oceanic movement OF
passengers to and from the British Islands.
and. on tho other hand. tho passenger
movement between the United Kingdom
and the European Continent.
There is curious phenomenon connected
with the trans-Occanc emigration from tho
British Islands which has often been OBJ
served, but which even Mr.. GIFrEN is not
prepared to explain. We refer to the ten
dcncy of the outflow to expand and decrease
in cycles. For a series OF years tho volume
Of departures will steadily increase. and
then during certain number OF years it
will us steadily diminish. Thus, in 1871
the total transoccanic emigration from
tho United Kingdom was 2j2.435. The
next year there was gain OF
some $1,000. and in 1873 maximum
of 3IO,Gl2 was reached. Thonceforward
the outpour declined year by year. until in
1877 it had fallen to 1891. Then began a
new progression, until in 1882 the total had
risen To 4ij,2SS but only to drop again in
Tho three following years. and then again to
rise for three years more. but not TO quite
the point reached in 1882. In 1859 another
decline began and became more marked in
1890; with 1891. on the other hand. there
camo II renewed upward tendency. for in
that year the total outward trans oceanic
movement was 4,543. showing an increase
Of is 500 over the previous year. AS q mat
ter OF empirical observation. this cyc.ical
character Of emigration Is found to have
some connection with the periodical waves
OF general trade prosperity and depression.
1t i,S certain that emigration is greater
when trade is brisk than when trade Is
slack. but what the connection is Mr.. GIF-
FEa docs not undertake. 10 determine. What
renders tho problem pcrpleying is the fact
that at first sight one would suppose the
effect of trade prosperity in the United
Kingdom would be to keep its citizens at
home. The opposite is in truth the case.
oceanic eniGrants from the British Islands
in 1891 was 3ji. J43. OF these 2ls ,5O7 were Of
British or Irish nationality. To the last
named total the amounts contributed by
each OF tho three kingdoms remained about
the same rs in 1890, GO per cent. hens of Eng
lish extraction, q per cent. of Irish, and 10
per cent. of Scotch As might lie expected,
English emigration is the most widely dis
tributcd of the three. not conlining Itself to
the American republic but scattering itself
over the Canadian Dominion. Aus tralia, the
Cape. and other places. Nevertheless. of
the total Of English emigrants 60 per cent.
went to the United States. and OF Irish
emigrants 9i.5 per cent. To this outward
movement there Is. OF course. an offset in
tho return traus-oceanic current OF immi-
grants. The volume OF this return current,
however. WAS smaller in 1891 than In 1890,
and when we compare the data. We see that
IL 1901 the excess OF cmigrants over immi-
grants was 1911. as against an excess in
1890 OF 10000
We come now to that SGT OF tables pre-
pared hy Mr.. ClFr%N which clucidatcs tho
Passenger movement between the United
Kingdom and the European Continent.
IlcIr. ii anywhere, wc si3ail lind the proof
that what tho british Islands lose by Il
trals-pccaAic outflow Is made up to them
by an iunour from adjoining countries. Wo
may say at once that there is no evidence
Of such replenishmcnt. 1t is true that tho
total number Of arrivals In the United King