The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-13
immigration.

A number of interesting figures ap-
pear in the latest government bulletin
of statistics relating to immigration,
and they gain in interest when we re-
fleet that it is a 'Scrantonian who is
now supervising the enforcement of the
immigration laws. For example, the
figures show that the tide of immigra-
tion is at the lowest point since the
federal government assumed jurisdic-
tion of the subject in 1882. This fact
is not especially due to increased strin-
gency in the enforcement of restrictive
laws, although it is due to that in part.
The decline is chiefly to be accounted
for on the ground that four years of
Democratic administration made the
United States so uninvitinG in an in
dustrial sense as to cease to attract
even the downtroGden masses of CONT
mental Europe. In this way, but in this
way only, have our friends, the politi-
cal enemy, been successful in solving
the immigration problem.
The number Of arrivals from all coun-
tries, during the last fiscal year was
previous year of 112,435. The lightest
immigration of any previous year was
in 1895, when the number from all
countries was 279,94s The year of heav-
lest immigration was the first of the
period beginning with 1882, when arri-
walls numbered 78S992. During the en-
tire period of federal supervision 7,432,-
haN nnt ha nj OF
| an average per annum of almost 500, 600.
In point of distribution the past
years immigration is noteworthy. Italy
| furnished the greatest number, 81, ,431,
| q decrease of $500 from the previous
year. Since 1882 there has been a large
and steady decrease in German immi-
grafton; in 1882 250,63O entered the
| United States from that country, while
in 1896 only 22,533 arrived. 1t will be
seen that the number Of German immi-
grants during the first year Of govern
meEt supervision exceeded the immi-
grafton from all countries during the
last year. immigration from Austria
Hungary decreased from 55,lO3 in 1896
to 33,031 in 1897. The decrease from
| Quiet COuIlllGS lS dS lOllOWS' IIlBldnu,
10, ,492 in 1896 to 1914 in 1897; Sweden,
2l,137 to 1874; Norway S,155 to 5S42.
Even the Irish have ceased to find as
much attraction in this country as in
former years. Last year the number
of Irish whc came over was 40,262. This
year the total drops TO 2S,421. A curious
fact in regard to the immigration of the
Irish is that the number of females
largely exceeds the males. In 1896 there
were 1925 men and 22, 637 women. This
year there were 1,549 males and 16, 6,S72
females. This is so Of few other nation
alities Last year the total number
of males was PIP, ,466 females, 1SO, sol.
This year the number of males was
l35.1O7; females, 95,725.
If there is any class of immigrants
for whom Americans feel almost suffic-
iently sorry to open the bars a trife
1t is made up Of those who flee to this
country to avoid persecution in their
own. America as the refuge for the
victims Of foreign tyranny is an idea
not yet eliminated from the American
mind. 1t 10 interesting, therefore, to
note that this year shows an increase
as compared with last, of nearly twelve
per cent. in the immigration from Ar
menia; but decrease Of nearly 40 pei