The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-14

Especially by the Contempt with
Which They Are Regarded by Other
t Boston Transcript.
A fortnight ago, when the Romantic
weekly, which appears in the North
End, published among the usual amount
of matter hopelessly uninteresting to
the average outsider, human document
of deep significance. It was third Of
me the s1ag cay
hopeful arrival, the joyous expectations
of work and pay, Of health and ,happi-
/ ness, the long, dreary struggle; the dis
I.couraging trials and disappolntments,
T the shattering of the ambitions and
the final outcome-thee return to the
young workman, rather above than be-
low the average in education and train
ing. Over fifteen hundred workmen
sailed away with him, only poor atom
of the surging crowd. His cry of de-
spair and warning was lost in the roar
steamship lines who were interviewed
about the large number Of eastward
| bound Storage passengers, and the re-
porters who interviewed them, informed
the public that it was only an increase
in the usual winter exodus of temporar-
| lily lmmlgratlng @workmen. One paper
went further, and plainly, directed pub
lie attention to the fact that not one Of
the Italian laborers and workmen in and
about Boston would return to Italy, es-
pecially just before the Christmas holi-
days, without ample funds to carry him
to accomplish this during four
months stay in Italy, the 10000 natives
whose return could be estimated by
present calculations, would spend on an
average $40 each, or altogether, fully
$1,000,000.
The truth is, that it is not wholly a
| case Of temporary exodus. Many Of
those who departed a fortnight ago on
the Romantic and Sunday last on the
Canopic have gone never to come back.
Their American experience has been too
much for them. And the next sailing
on the Romantic, Dec. 10, will take away
more and more. This does not mean
in an absolute way that italian i'm
migrant emigration will noticeably di-,
grants. in this country. Probab bly,, for
ten disappointed who 60, a hundred
hopeful ones will be ready to come.
But the future might bring some I'M
foreseen surprise, and the amount of
knowledge and experience earned with
DIS HUGH fAultI1Cdu udiOSu1p, duu uOdTu-
ed with more than the American dol
lar in the American factories, may bear
fruit in some distant southern italian
or Sicilian village. There is no doubt
that many. let us even say the greater
part, Of the eighteen hundred immi-
grants which the Canopic took with her
Sunday last toward the Italian ports,
may be willing, or at least planning,
This many of them said in response
to brief questions addressed at random
among them as they were passing along
the line of officials. ships doctors,
royal italian, r commissioner. on emigra-
ton and other representatives on the
docks Of the White Star line and on
the Canopic. Mai ,piu' (nevers more)
was the exultant answer that many Of
them had for the questions: "Areo you
expecting to come back?' "Mai piu.'
f"Then you are rich? Have you made
an American fortune9' one was asked,
type Of southern Italian workman. L" AS
poor as when | came: Worse. perhaps;
but I can work in Italy as 1 did here,
and without being insulted' The
story came forth without hesitation.
sm ManH Of them had GR{ qoiz7 W6d
but sold my little house. to come here,
SO now I've got to lstay.o "Why did
you come in the first place?' "Be.
cause the others did. It was a fashion,
ssea h one Of the dta
southern town Of $4,000, now a desert
ed village where barely three thousand
await the returns Of -"the American
disappointment. And what seems sad
der and worse for both sides, is that
the more bitterly disappointed on the
whole are the better element Of the Ital-
leaders Of their class. They suffer most
; and most silently, until they 90 back
broken; Their first idea in coming is
that, Of finding some clearly occupation
in the line Of skilled labor, or perhaps
at the foot of the business ladder which
they fondly expect to ASCEND some time
They look forward to their own ideal
} but with the common sense and power
4 Of adaptability characteristic Of thu
Italian nature, they submit to the re
qu la'e eI of reality and try to 20 tt
skilled labor of the toughest, if neces
: sary. The. tragedy is awful; obstacle
y LOT every kind are in the way, and frs
y Of all, probably, their own tinidity bor1
OF encouragement. The only way t.
W " TX Is the CONTRACTOR, who may offe
1 pA'oC AoA WV ~ III w u1C1 u0 pays
to others, and who probably requires :
= trial period Of five or six weeks free.
$ For those who do not know English
the struggle is even more desperate
not, only the contractor, but the rascal
ly interpreter and the cunning middle
man work them to exhaustion, the lat
ter, of course, without the former !
knowledge. There is in a small fac
tory in a Boston suburb middlema1
' who exacts SIS from each of the victim
J. whom he employs. The boss share
o with this middleman the sums thus ex
s torted, which does not prevent either O
them, of course, from Diminishing the en-
y gagged men at the end Of a few weeks
q in order to get more SIS bills from tn
: new employees, and. such evils ar
d numberless, uncomfortable it seems
: and thriving thruout the country
: There is less personal safety or com
b pensation for accidents in labor, an,
r less pay, and less fairness to the con
g 5dition Of the Italian laborer in thi
= country than there ever was to him, o
' is for any other. At the same time
: life grows constantly more expensive
e The Irish or German or American me
! Echanic or laborer can stand the in
1t crease in the cost Of living becaus
g his wages are correspondingly increas