Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-18
ITALIAN EMIGRATION
Number That Has Come to
the United States.
SEND MONEY BACK
BULK OF THE PEOPLE FROM
SOUTHERN ITALY.
Conditions at Home Insanitary, but
When They Arrive Here Immi-
grants Become Better.
'peciaI Correspondence of The Evening Star.

/
| ROME, April =, 1914.
Over 100000 Italians have gone to the
| United States in the past thirty years.
| About 100000 of these people have re-
| manned permanently In their adopted home.
| Between $25,OOO, 600 and $3O.Oo0,OO0 is sent
| from the United States each year to Italy
by Italians abroad to their people at home
| The amount is so great as to form the prin-
| cipal part of the business of all the Italian
banks in New York, and to furnish a large
proportion Of the exchange business of a.
number Of banking institutions in Italy. In
| return for this money, however, the Italians
| give their labor, and 1t Is contended that in
| this way, taking into consideration also
| the amount they spend for subsistence. the
net result is beneficial to the United
| States
| There Is considerable antagonism among
! the American people to the very large Itai-
| ian immigration. but impartial inquiry into
| conditions in both countries develops two
| sides to the question. The bulk Of the
Italian emigration to the United States is
| from southern Italy. The southern Italians
are not as presentable. or, apparently. as
desirable citizens as the people of northern
Italy, but their defects are largely due to
environment and the italian economic con-
dition Relieved from the oppression or
these conditions and given opportunity.
man beings, responding quickly to the ad-
Vantages OF Industrial and political freedom
with increased earning power.
Sections Contrasted.
In northern Italy many peasants are land
owners. Southern Italy is held by large
Land owners in great estates and the peas
ant Is slave. He lives in a grass hut or
miserable howell of some description The
entire family must labor In the field for
self-support. as In some localities wages
are as low as ten cents per day. Their
FOOD consists largely of fruit and green
vegetables. this being the cause OF the I'M
der-fed appearance of many of the people
The italian tariff system imposes high Inn
port duties upon the necessaries of life and
low duties upon the luxuries. Even salt,
THAT cheapest of all commodities in most
parts of the world. Is beyond the reach of
many Italian families, owing to it's high
cost Petroleum now used by the poorer
peoples OF all the earth for lighting their
homes Is an expensive luxury in Italy In
fact. unless the Italian peasant can Sc
cure the necessary food from the ground
about his hut. he slowly starves to death
or emfgrates to the United States
Unimproved land Is hardly taxed at all.
The moment the pillow is put into the ground
the tax collector appears upon the scene
and tthes the owner. the tenant and the
laborer to such degree. as to discourage
the breaking up of the large holdings of
southern Italy into cultivated fields. The
result of this system is that vast areas re-
main wild or are kept in pasture, the wage
worker is unable to lay by enough money to
secure any land for himself employment is
scarce and wages at a minimum. The pros
perity of the Italians who have gone to the
United States is in sharp contrast to this
poverty and distress. Communication be-
tween those abroad and at home is fire.
quent. and 1t is little wonder that the imag-
ination of the poverty stricken, illiterate
and ignorant is excited to such an extent
to iy,dI off To aol, f1,a
world.
Family affection is marked trait Of the
Italian character and not only do the ex
lies send money home for the support or
transportation OF their relatives but they
do this for their friends as well. While
there is little or no violation of the United
States law prohibiting the importation of
contract labor few Italians leave their
homes without the assurance that employ
ment awaits them on their arrival in Amer
lea.
The building of new railroad in the
United States, or, In fact, the beginning of
any great enterprise requiring a large
amount OF manual labor is marked by de-
cided increase in the movement of emf
grants The building OF the underground
railroad in New York city is here held re-
sponsible for the large italian emigration
during the past two years. and whereas in
the earlier days OF American development
and shovel upon construction work. 1t is
now the industrious and patient Italian
peasant who is moving the earth.
Position Of the Government
The Italian government does not encour-
age or discourage emigration. The move
ment is regulated, however. for the pur-
pose of protecting the emigrant, and the
right to the military services of all citi-
zens abroad is retained. Italy does not
even urge emigration to italian colonies.
but does try to prevent any movement Of
her people to countries where they will not
prosper or will not be well received.
Political conditions in Italy are such as
to prevent, or at least hinder, any radical
reform in the circumstances which are now
responsible for the movement of SO many
people to the United States. compulsory
land purchase law has been proposed to be
applied to the great estates of southern
English law in Ireland. The party In DOW
er is not strong enough however, to I'M
dertake this measure In parliament and the
government finances are not in condition
to warrant the large expenditure which
would be necessary. 1t Is believed. how
near future and that the government will
buy up the great land holdings of southern
Italy, segregate them into small tracts
and sell them on the easiest possible terms
to the peasantry.
The economic conditions already explain-
ed have been responsible for draining GER
tain districts of a very large percentage of
the population. In some small villages 80
per cent of the people have gone to the
United States, and the Island OF Sicily is
now almost depopulated. One feature OF
Italian country life which contributes NOT
only to tho poor physical condition but to
the unfayorable condition Of the people is
SCafCltY n