The Florence daily tribune., 1902-01-29
SHOULD NOT COME in.
FIGURES FROM BOARD OF IMMIGRA-
TIoN COMMISSIONERS
Glasses OF Immix rants Who Arc Un-
Desirable from American standpoints
of citizensh.p-Pauper Element from
Southern Italy Left in scAboard Citiss

The report of the board of immigra-
tion commissioners at New York con-
tains figures and statistics that furnish
food for serious reflection on the much
Vexed problem cf restricting the fow
OF certain classes of foreigners to this
country. The total immigration for
the fiscal year l90O-1901 was $685. ,93l,
as against 34l. .7l2 for the year previous,
an increase of 1928 The total num-
Der OF immigrants from southern Italy
for l90O-l90l was Ill, ,29S, as against
s3,Szg for the preceding fiscal year.
From northern Italy there were 20,3G0
immigrants this year as against 1880
last year, an increase of 1870. The
commissioners report will show that
the southern Italians brought with
them this year 1864, ,97s, a per capita
rate of only sS.67, while the northern
Italians brought s47S9S9. per capita
rate OF S23.G2. standing well up among
the highest class OF immigrants. As to
the influx from other countries the fig
ures are also interesting. The second
highest on the list to the Italians are
the Hebrews. who numbered 43,237,
decrease of 1888 from the preceding
year. They were also short of funds,
having brought s36O,94O. per capita
rate of 1888, which Is cents less than
that of the southern Italians and the
lowest on the entire list. Polish i'm
migrants numbered 81 .636, an increase
OF SOL. They brought $685. .559. or 1898
per capita. The Lithuanians were
8.192 in number and had per capita
rate of sS65, the Portuguese were 1898
strong, with 1851 rate, and the Ru-
thenians 5.032, with s964 rate to their
credit. The per capita rate of all 9TH
ers was above $50. The German immi-
grafton amounted to 29,660, an increase
of 6,29S. Their per capita rate was
s31.14. the third highest on the list,
the first being held by the French, at
a s3S.57 rate. with a small immigra-
tion of 3,771, while the English. Scotch
and Welsh at s32.e4 were third highest,
with total immigration of 6,433 per-
sons Ireland sent over this year 49,
953 immigrants. which was 5,247 less
than landed during 1S99-1900. They
brought $780, ,S22. or sl7.10 per capita
1884 over last year, their total being
24.161, with per capita ratio of $l615
The Slovaks numbered 26,93l. an in
crease of 1888. They had 1921 rate
The Magyars were 2,344, with 991 in
crease and $10.96 rate. The Croa-
tian and Dalmatian races were repre-
sented by 12,34S immigrants, with
$l5.54 as per capita; the Dutch and
Flemish had 3.065, with high ratio
OF $500, while the Spanish. with 613,
an increase of 204, had still higher
per capita OF $3023. The Armenians,
Syrians and Bohemians furnished H.
721. the Finnish $3.50, the Greeks 5.e51
and all other nationalities 1,627. Their
per capita rates ranged from SIS to $22.
AS already stated. the increase in i'm
migration for the fiscal year 1900-1901
was 1928, and OF this number $685.
or 6l per cent. were natives of south
Italy. One of the railroad officials of
the immigration bureau, In New York
commenting on this feature, said: THE
southern Italians who so largely
swelled the tide OF immigration this
year constitute an undesirable class for
naIuTdllZdtlOn ana Citizenship. Fast
experience bears out this statement
and, as evidence of the fact that there
is no racial prejudice in the assertion, 1t
is only necessary to ask the opinion of
a north Italian on the pauper element
of southern Italy. Many of them have
told me how utterly worthless these
persons are at home. and statistics
show how useless they are from a pro-
gressive standpoint in this country.
They represent the lazy and indolent
outcasts of southern Europe. are abso-
lutely thriftless and will work only
when dire necessity compels It, They
bring just enough money with them to
this country to comply with the immi-
grafton laws, and, as they cannot af-
tickets to sections Of the country where
there is a demand for their labor. they
linger in the large cities OF the East
until their meager fund Is exhausted
and then. for the most part, become
burdens on the municipalities in which
they are stranded. This, of course,
will apply to some classes of other ma
tionalities, and 1t seems that the time
has arrived for more stringent immi-
grafton laws, restricting the wholesale
influx of Objectionable classes OF for
eigners to this country. New York
Sun.