Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-24
SOME POINTS ON IMMIGRATION.
Interesting Facts Shown by Official
Reports.

According to the New York Sun balancing
day for the books Of Uncle Sam Is not Janu-
airy l, but July 1, and fiscal years in gov
ernment bookkeeping begin on July 1 and
end on June 30 succeeding. The imm!gra-
tlon statistics for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1898, which have Just appeared,
show some interesting facts, the most
notable OF which Is the similarity OF totals
between this year and the one preceding it.
The total immigration for the last fiscal
year to the United States was 229, 900; the
year before it was 100000, practically the
same. But there entered into the total of
this year to larger extent than was the
case a year ago number OF "home -comers,"
immigrants who had previously been in the
country. but on account Of hard times or
for some other reason had left it to return
abroad. The number OF such home-comers
this year was $1,000, or more than one sixth
OF the entire number. OF the newcomers a
remarkably small number-only 1900 in all
came from Germany, which has been the
leading country in immigration to the United
States since the food of Irish emigration
which began in 1914 fell off in 1884 The
total number Of Irish immigrants to arrive
in the United States this year was 25 900,
number which, though large in itself,
seems small compared with nearly 10000
from Austria and 10000 from Italy. There
has been decline in the volume OF immi-
grafton from the Scandinavian countries
but it is an uneven falling Off. From Nor
way less than 5000 immigrants hailed
From Sweden there were more. 1900, and
one of the peculiar features of immigra-
tion this year, feature to be ascribed in
part to fears Of impressment into the navy
n
immigration from Finland. Finland is a
Russian province, which furnishes to the
navy OF that empire many sailors and ma
rines, and its population by the last cen
sus QS95) was 100000 The population Of
Denmark Is substantially the same, and
heretofore the immigration OF Danes to the
United States has been very much larger
than the immigration OF Finns but this year
the situation has been changed, and 2C07
Finnish and only 1,946 Danish immigrants
landed in this country. Another element
OF accretion to the population by immigra-
tion this year consists Of the Welsh. In
previous years (since, in fact, immigration
figures have been kept the ratio OF Scotch
immigrants to Welsh immigrants has been
In the proportion OF 10 to 2. Since 1890
800, 900 Scotch and only 10000 Welsh immi-
grants landed here, exclusive Of those who
described their residence as Great Brit
ain" This year the number Of Welsh i'm
migrants, though not large, is nearly as
large as the number OF Scotchmen.
The most remarkable features OF this
years immigration, however, are the con-
tributions to it from countries which here
tofore have not been largely represented
There were, for instance, more than 1000
immigrants from Turkey, chiefly from Syria
and Arak
grants from Portugal faroff Japan sent
twenty times as many as nearby Mexico;
there were nearly 1000 from Cuba and 1000
from Roumania. Poland contributed twice
as many as France to the total OF new
comers and onfy one immigrant described
himself officially as a European, withhold
ing any other information. Only forty-eight
Africans came as immigrants to the United
States last year.