The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-12-09
WHY YITHLIKN
COLONIES FAIL.

COLONIES FAIL.
AgriCu'furdlIy, They are
of Lille Benefit to the
South.
The recommendation recently
made by the Italian commercial
agent at Washington to the Ital-
ian Emigration Commission that
colinization societies be formed
in order to check the massing of
Italians in American cities and
aid5 their transformation into
landed proprietorS has caused the
former ambassador to this coun.
try, Baron Severio Fava, to breaI
silence as to previous efforts in
this direction, and the causes OF
their failure. The Nuova Anto-
logla (Rome) presents his rave-
lations and views in an article
entitled Italian Agricultural
Colonies in North America"
Baron Fava says that volumi-
nous records in the embassy at
Washington will show that ha
called attention to the need and
proposed similar remedies as far
back as 1883. He deemed it
necessary to establish a bureau
for the protection of emigrants
arriving in America, with a labor
bureau attached. He intended
to establish this by means of a
fund of eight thousand dollars,
offered by the banker Cantcni,
with the use Of certain premises;
a legacy left by Mr.. Massa,
twelve hundred dollars allotted
by Minister Crispi, and the form
alton of a society whose mem
bers should give gratuitous ser
vices and monthly dues. The
leaders of the New York Italian
colony, however, failed to give
the promised aid, in spite of their
having met twice with the am
bassador to agree on terms. The
ambassador, therefore, presented
his wishes to the then Secretary
of the Treasury, Carlisle, and
gained his hearty assistance. He
gave the afree. use gof a large hall
on Ellis'fTsad. qfen all details
had been arranged, the bureau
was placed in charge of Cavaliere
EgiSto RoSSi, under the imme-
diate direction of the ambassa-
dor. 1t costthe Italian Govern
ment $4,000 a year, even with
the Massa legacy. 1t protected
the emigrant from all kinds of
eXtortion and exploitation, and
guided him through the Difficult
ties Of first experience in a
strange land. The labor bureau
was not founded because the
Italian Government refused the
necessary funds, and did not
even authorize the acceptance Of
twelve hundred dollars yearly,
offered by the American banker,
Mr.. Corbin, for this purpose.
The success of the Italian bu-
reau of protection had aroused
other countries, and Austria.
Hungary asked permission to es-
tablish a similar bureau, but was
refused. Other demands were
made, and when the Ellis Island
buildings were destroyed by fire
the regulation was made that
foreign bureaus might be estab-
lished on Ellis Island, but not in
the federal buildings, as the Ital-
ian office lad been for six years.
After mentioning the great
success of the Irish, German,
Scandinavian, and Swiss labor
bureaus in placing emigrants on
land by taking advantage Of the
homestead laws, Baron Fava
considers the question of whether
Italian emigrants will lend them
selves to such operations. The
first condition must be that the
emigrants go to America intend
ing to remain. How many Ital-
ians have such intention, he asks.
They are SO sure to return to
their native soil when they have
accumulated a little that Ameri-
cans call them birds of pas
sage. " Under such conditions,
what Italian-American or Ameri-
can capitalists would undertake
to form Italian colonies? The
Italians Of the colony" at Vine
land, N. j., started a quarter Of
a century ago by Cavaliere Secchi
di Casale, founder of the Eco
d. Italia, do not possess an inch
G I'll. I 1