Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-04-05
OFFICIAL PAPER BURLEIGH co.
SOME IMMIGRATION FIGURES.

ing the movement of foreign immigra-
ton to the United States are presented
in the compilation prepared by the chief
Of the bureau of statistics of the treasury
department as a portion of the report on
and navigation for the last
fiscal year, and summarized by Brad
streets. 1t appears from these figures
that the total number of aliens arriving
at all the ports of the United States dur
ing the year was 347, 4O7, of whom 314,467
we're immigrants. This total is the
smallest of which there is any record
since the year 1879, or for the space OF a
decade and a half. The total was nearly
100000 less than that for the preceding
fiscal year, and presented thus the evil
dence of a marked decline in the move.
nent of immigration to the United States,
for no such d~isproportion between the
figures for any two years appears until
We go back to the year 1880, when an in
crease of more than $4,000 over the
figures of the preceding year was re-
corded. There wal an increase of over
$4,000 in the year ending June 80, 1887,
az compared with the preceding year,
b ut this increase was still considerably
below the falling off for last year.
The report collects in a number of mis-
%cellaneous tables the figures for the ear
lier movement of Immigration to America,
though it is to be remarked that these
earlier figures do not discriminate, as the
later ones do, between immigration
proper and aliens generally. This ap-
pears to be true up to the year 1855, for
it was in the year 1856 that we find
the distinction first made statisti-
cally. A comparison of the figures
shows strikingly the growth of the
movement. In the year ending Septem-
Der 80, 1920, the aliens coming to the
United States numbered Only $685.. In
the course of half q decade the number
had only grown to 10,199. By 1880 the
number had increased to 23,222, by 1885
to 1914, and by 1910 to S4,066. In 1915
the number had increased to 114,37l, and
in 1850 it reached the immense total for
that time of 10000. After reaching in
1854 the large total of 427,833, the num-
Der declined in 1855 to 200,S77. The years
Immediately following were marked, gen
orally speaking, by a falling off, the total
in 1860 being only 153,640. By 1865 the
number had increased to 24S, 100, of whom
all but 667 were classed as immigrants.
In 1850 the total had run up to 1929
OF whom all but 1877 were classed as
immigrants. In 1878 the total had de-
clined again to 244 ,632, of whom all but
1874 were immigrants. In 1880 the
large total of 4S4. 1856 was reached, the
largest recorded up to that time, of whom
all but 24,939 were immigrants. Two
years later the largest total in the his.
tory of the country was recorded, viz.
S1G,272, of whom all but 27,2S0 were i'm.
migrants. By 1885 the total had de-
clined to 437 1853, Of whom all but 42,4l2
were immigrants, and after a temporary
increase for a couple of years the total
was only 47G,425, in 1890. There were
increases in the three following years
followed, as has been already intimated
by a marked decline last year.
OF the immigrants arriving last year
only 1,73S we're classed as professional!
on the basis of occupations, 1896 were
skilled workmen, 116,167 were classec
as miscellaneous: 162,58l were without
special occupation, and 35 did not state
their occupation. The proportions here
indicated have not varied very greatly
during the recent past, as will be seer
by comparing the figures for 1894 with
those for the ten years ending with 1890
During that period the total number o
immigrants arriving was 5,246,613. 0
these 2 7,006 we're classed as professional
54O,411 as skilled workmen, 2,O79,135 a.
miscellaneous, and 2,483,904 as withou
occupation, while the occupations O
116,157 were not stated. These figure
indicate that, as might be expected, til
professional and skilled classes of immi
grants constitute but a small proportion
of the whole, somewhat over a tenth
while immigrants without occupation
constitute, one year with another, some
thing like half of the whole. The stats
tics do not furnish data upon which t
base an estimate as to the relative grad
of the later as compared with the earle
immigrants, but it is safe to conclud
Of SO desirable a class as the earlier oneI
Ex-TREAsURER LIE. BOOKER furnishe
some food for thought. In an intervie'