The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-24
now IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN
CARRIED on M DECADES
AND RACES.
The Proportions OF Foreign horn 60 Total
Population for Forty Yenrs-DeuSity OF
Settlement-1Htgh Tides In ImmtErntion.

Population for Forty Yenrs-Deurity OF
Settement-HiEb Tides In ImmtEration
WAsHiNoroS. May 23.-It Is q Ions time
since go elaborate n study OF immigration eta.
tlstics has been made In Congress as during
the recent debates upon the Lodge bill In the
Senate, and upon the Mccall bill. with Its
Corliss amendment, In the House. IL is worth
noting. by the way, that these two measures.
although directed 20 the same purpose Of ap-
plying IN the immigrant n reading and writ
ing test, differ a little in details. The Lodge
bill excludes persons over II years Of ago
who cannot read and write some language,
except that the parents or grandparents OF an
admissible Immigrant may him
or be cont for by him. The Mccall bill makes
the ages for the reading and writing test be-
tween 10 and 90. with an exception in favor OF
the parents OF persons now living here or here
after admitted. Tho Mccall bill also con-
tains provisions for further enforcing tho
Contract Labor law upon immigrants. aud for
modifying Immigration from Canada.
Careful and detailed records Of immIgra-
t'on have boon kept since the year 1920, and
those OF previous years were relatively unlm-
%portant, since not until the year ending Sept.
20. 1924, arc 10000 arrivals in n year re-
corded. And, In fact, UP TO 1856 the records
OF alien arrivals were combined. whereas after
that date they were separated into immigrant
and non-immigrant classes. The most ia
nous decade In immigration was the one from
1881 to 1890, inclusive. for which tho figures
were, In the aggregate. 5,2IB,0l3, whereas
the previous decade had shown only 2,Sl2,-
1o1. and tho decade from Jan. /, 1851. to
Juno 80, 1870. only 2,314, 1924. Another IA
nous decade OF high tide in Immigration was
the one from 1851 to 1860, when the total OF
alien passengers and immigrants was 2.59s,-
Dl1. whprpna fha prnyiopa dn,aJa lnd ANN
but l,T13.25l, tho decade from 1881 to 1910
only 500.l25, and the ono from 1891 to 1880
only 143.439. So far as can be Judged from
fs frst half, the current decade will not quito
come up TO Its predecessor, the reckoning up
10 1895 showing q total of $3.50, 674. Still.
there may be another flood tide before 1900.
Up to the end Of the last fiscal year the sta
tistics showed an aggregate. since 1920. Of
II, T0s,3 31 persons. 1t is to he remembered
that these included alien passengers In the
earlier years not immigrants: but, on the
other hand. immigrants from British North
America and Mexico have not been included
since July /, 1888. Perhaps in round nuin-
bers We may expect the figures up to the fiscal
year 1890 to show nearly 10000. 900. But
1t is noteworthy that while the immigration
Of the last fifteen years has boon prodigious.
the percentage Of foreign born to total popu-
iation has not greatly increased during the
last thirty five years. That is to say. while
the actual number of foreign born was 8, 249,-
547 In the census year 1890, or more than
double as much as In 1850. when 1t was 1, 13s,-
o97, yet the percentage to the tota! population
was only 1+.77 in the former case, against
1915 in the latter. During the two inter
mediate census years the percentages were
14.44 and 1882.
Excluding Alaska and Indian Territory. the
rnunfRv haa nm ri ~ - ~ ntohItn-
per square mile. This Is IA little greater den
sity than that OF Norway, but not quite as
seventh, that of Denmark. Portugal. or Scot.
land. about one-seventh that of Ireland, and
perhaps about one-twcnty-third part Of England.
We. still have room. therefore. for the right
During the last fiscal year 270.o4s immi.
those from British North America and Mexico.
Some published figures say that there was an
land. 6,217 from England and Wales. 10 from
SCOTLAND. and l?2 from Finland, whereas all
that Of Germany amounting to ?i.s16. and
that Of Italy to 900. But during the current
year there has been a great INCREASE in ipmi-
ring of these immigrants has been carried on
to an unprecedented extent: the result being
Mention has been made of the fact that.
ton were kept. It has been estimated. how.
ever. TINT between 1888 and 1870 about 80
900 immierants may have settled in the coun-
try. The figures also. since 1890. are not as az
curate us could pc desired. from the causes
already mentioned. and also from the lack. Of
a second time after n visit to their native
homes; SIN, I. is Obvious what an influence
this influx from foreign lands.
or the 90. 622.o50 who formed our popula-
, ti@es at ana the g l issC ren forctr 2ai iDrS 7oI Rn wer re ma,
native born s.0s5.0lo had. both parents and
a.+ls:95S, bad 81 one J parent foreign. This gives
foreign parentaGe, on one or both sides. Taking
as probable q total Of ls,022. $50 aliens arriving
results in classifying by countries and by races.
Germany supplies t;nlo'o39 OF the number, or
immigration Of British North America is put at
followed by European Russia, outside of Fin
land and Poland, 470,626.
But there is u race classification In the Off
cial figures in which Germany, the German
parts OF Austria, England, Scnndin lvia, Brit.
ish North America, and the NssthcrIands are
stands, the Germanic immigration thus turns
of the whole. The Germanic- Celtic, which in.
cludes Ireland; SssotIaqG. and Wales, comes
Is the Latin, comprising Italy. France, spain,
and Portugal. with l,42G. 4O+. Then comes a
s EHsSsr n ns.srSsG.sG "na Kindred sTSGP G rs1s.l" i ib%iss,.
ing also Turkey, Roumanin. Bulgaria, Servia,
and Montenegro, making in nil iD3, $50. Yet
again We have the Tartar Slav- ernnni race,
namely, Russia in Europc, exclusive Of Fin
Latin.Germanic. consisting OF Switzerland and .ndi
Belgium, 257 1873. Finland occupies q group
Of Its own. called Finnish iermanic. with a.
222. This leaves unclnssifed 07S, O55 persons,
Including Latln-Indian, negro. and Asiatio
immigrants.
The wonder Is that, with these masses of va
ried elements continuing to pour into our
population. even the existing degreo of homo
geneity has been secured.
Stolen Comfort.