Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-24
MIGRATION STATISTICS
A FUND NEEDED TO COMPILE AID
OPTIONAL POPULATION FIGURES.
No Present Means to Ascertain the
Movements Of People Out Of
the United States.

Hope is expressed at the Department of
Commerce and Labor that the recommen-
dalton of Frank p. Sargent. commissioner
general Of immigration, for fund with
which to compile statistics Of the migration
of the country will be favorably acted upon
by Congress during the consideration of the
appropriations for that department It is
recognized by the officials Of the bureau of
immigration that the figures secured of the
immigration into the United States from all
countries does not give an adequate idea
of the true state of affairs and that addi-
tional data in the shape Of migration hg-
ures would add greatly to the information
along the lines most desired by statisticians
At present, by reference to the figures
issued by the bureau OF immigration, 1t IS
possible to name instantly the number or
Inhabitants Of the United States at the
time Of the compilation of the figures.
Theoretically this Is accurate, but It Is not
SO practically. For instance. there are no
records which show how many of the immi-
grants who come to the United States dur
ing any specified length Of time remained
In this country, and the statistician Is, OF
course, at disadvantage in calculating
along the lines Indicated 1t is known that
nearly million persons came to this
country from foreign shores during the last
fiscal year, but how many of them re-
NAMED here Is not known. nor how many
last year returned to the land of their ma
tivity or migrated to still other shores.
Population overestimated.
Taking this into consideration, It is eu-
dent that the population of the United
States has been overestimated by several
thousands. just how many cannot be readily
determined, and it Is this defect in the work
of the bureau of immigration that it is de-
sirable Of correcting and for which the fund
mentioned Is required.
The steamship companies, as general
rule, keep record of all the passengers
travelling by their vessels, and whenever it
is necessary to ascertain anything in refer
ence to migration the bureau has to refer
to them and depend upon their figures. 1t
is at best very unsatisfactory method of
arriving at results, and the bureau will
never be regarded as a perfected machine
until it is able to supply at a moments no
tice the actual number of persons of every
nationality who came and went during any
specified term.
Japanese Going Home.
At this moment it is known that there
are numbers of Japanese leaving the Pa
cific ports for their homes to serve in the
army Of the mikado against the Russians
Many persons wish to know how many Of
these people are going home or how many
and contributing financially toward the war
fund of their native land. The bureau has
been called upon at various times to supply
this information, but in every instance has
had to regretfully admit that 1t does not
possess the statistics called for. Given the
number of Japanese who have come to this
country during the life of the bureau of
immigration and the number who have re-
turned to their native land or migrate ted
elsewhere, and it would not be a difficult
problem to arrive at the result wished.
Proposed Law Important.
1t could be ascertained very closely how
many Japanese had gone home to help
their country in it's hour of need, but
there are no statistics available for this
purpose, and the statistician or sociolo-
gist has to pause in his work or make a
canvass of every steamship line in the
United States for the missing link in his
calculations. This defect in the opera
tive powers of the bureau could be cor
rected by the use of a little money, and
when 1T is shown to Congress that the
statistics of immigration are almost VAL
ueless without the important addition of
those of migration 1t is hoped by the De-
partmeat of Commerce that the way will
be seen to give a satisfactory reply to the
recommendation of the Commissioner.