The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-19
MORE ADDED To TOO MANY,

1t was 20 be expected that the general
business prosperity Of this country
would lead to an incresae OF immigra-
tion. This expectation has not been
disappointed. The statistics OF arrivals
at New York. the principal port OF en-
try for immigrants. for the last three
months Of 1899 show total arrivals Of
74,SSs as against 5l,SSO In the same
period Of lSSS, an increase OF 23,0l2. The
United States is still regarded as the
land OF promise to thousands OF the
toilers of the old world, and especially
at this time TO the poorer classes OF
Southern Europe, the majority Of the
newly arrived and arriving immigrants
coming from Italy, Austro- Hungary
and Southern Poland.
While there will be no disappoint-
ment at the large immigration now in
progress, the distribution OF the new
arrivals furnishes food for reflection.
Naturally one would expect the new
immigrants to go where they we're most
needed, in the sparsely settled sections
Of the South and West, The statistics.
however. show the reverse to be the
fact. or the 1852 immigrants arriving
in New York during the closing quar-
ter Of 1899 four-fifths were destined for
the section north Of Mason and Dixon's
line and east Of Ohio, already the most
densely populated portion OF the coun-
try. Nearly one-half. or 22.O4s. re-
mained in New York. 1886 were des-
tined for Pennsylvania and the re-
mainder distributed themselves in
New Jersey. Massachusetts,, Connecti-
cut and other Eastern states. Less
than two thousand went to the South
and less than three thousand journeyed
beyond the Mississippi
Something of this tendency Of the
newcomers to add themselves to the
dense population Of the older section of
the country is rightly attributable to
the activity in manufacturing districts.
More Of it is due to the gregarious
spirit which has overpopulated large
sections Of Europe. Thosewho came last
autumn had friends or acquaintances
residing in New England, New York
or Pennsylvania, and they preferred
to remain near their friends, securing
such crumbs Of subsistence as would
fall from an already overcrowded table
to launching out into thinly-settled
sections remote from friends and those |
of kindred blood and speech. italian
prefers to live near Italians, Hebrew |
near Hebrews. Pole near Poles and
Hun near Hungarians. The net result.
of course, is still further to crowd the
overpopulated districts with
thousands who will not only find it
difficult to secure comfortable support,
but who will further reduce the earn
ing power Of those already on the
ground.
1t is this feature Of the immigration
question that is fraught with the most |
danger and perplexity. In the South
and on this coast there is abundantroom
for hundreds or thousands Of able
bodied immigrants to secure a liveli-
hood and add 10 the prosperity Of the
country into the bargain. Where they
are most needed, however, the new ar
rivals don't go, and where there are
already too many they persist in add
ing to the existing congestion. Actual
starvation is the only policeman that
can order these people to move on and
enforce the order, and the public can
only await the slow action Of this in
exorable and resistless agency, certain
in the meantime to witness many in
stances of suffering and want which
with a more sensible distribution of
new arrivals would have been unnec-
essary.