The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-06
ITALIAN IMMIGRATION IN THE
SOUTH.

Each year the labor problem grows
more serious for the Southern farmer.
| The negro has always constituted
| the Souths principal laboring con-
tingent. But his increasing deficiency
makes it necessary for additional helm
| to be found. Without detracting from
what is being done by the better class
| of negro workers, it is evident that
| the negro race cannot wholly meet in
quantity or quality the demands for
service that must be made on it for
| proper development of this great sec
ton of the country.
| In a small way, a number of expert
ments in othor kinds of labor have
recently been tried in Eastern North
| Carolina. Firms, Poles, Portuguese
| Austro- Hungarians and Italians have
all been introduced as laborers. The
| Italians have come in the largest num-
bers, and though often worked under
unfavorable conditions, have generally
made satisfactory workers. In rail-
road building at New Bern, saw-mill-
| ing at Dover. contract work at Kin
ston, fishing at Wilmington, oyster
/ canning at Beaufort and truck farm
ing at various points, they have done
so we'll that many are beginning to
regard their judicious Introduction
here as the solution of the labor
problem.
| ~, tnrncs 49, 1Nn
it has been extensively tried, italian
labor has proved itself well-night indis-
pensable in the cultivation of the inn
mense plantations. Notably in Louisi-
ana, Alabama and Mississippi it is
an established fact that the Italian
workmen is sought for and appreclat-
ed, because he has demonstrated his
worth as a laborer.
OF the success of italian immigra-
| ton to Louisiana, some idea may be
gained from the following letter writ
ten last July by C. L. Buck, of In
| dependence, La:
i Twenty years ago land could be
bought in and around the town lor
| 81 90 to $500 per acre that are now
selling readily at SIS to 500 per acre.
One tract here of 1900 acres sold
twenty-five years ago for $1,000, and
| only a few weeks ago the purchaser
sold 200 acres for $10,40O. The as
sessed value of lands in this parish
| has been doubled in the past four
years.
lone viii ask what was the princi-
pal cause of the development. The
| answer must be the Italian immigra-
| ton that has come here and improved
| the conditions in respect to produc-
ton. The majority of farmers has
done away with negro labor. Why?
| Because they are ShiftlesS, worthless
sort. whereas the italian laborer is a
success. His sole object is to make
| money and he knows it must come
out of the ground therefore, he is al
ways at work when his work is needed.
1.-THE question of his desirability as
| a citizen is often asked. l can say
| that thus far in our twelve or fifteen
years experience With them they have
given no trouble to any one. They are
| prompt to pay their debts at the
stores. meet their paper at the banks
| when due. and often before. | do not
| think there is a case on record in this
| parish where the State has had to
| prosecute them for q crime or mis-
| demeanor, and that is saying q great
| deal when we consider that there are
| $50 TO $50 families living here, and
| every berry season there are probably
| 500 or more who come to assist in
| harvesting the crops.
II can speak from experience, and
say that thus far | have found them
good neighbors and good tenants. They
are frugal and Industrious, and when
working as tenants they are always
willing to do their part and / find it
| a great Improvement and cheaper than
| the negro labor of today, that wants
a dollar per day for half a dollars
worth of work. AS tenants they never
take uD more at the store than will
be realized from the crops. as is often
the case with the negro.
| After they are here awhile they
| become more or less Americanized,
and live better and spend more money
as their means Justify. They are,
| generally speaking, cleanly about their
| houses They are capable of improve
| ment in many ways which is not the
| case with the negro; and as far as
| know here, they have conducted them
| selves in a moral, law-abiding way.
| | am of course speaking from the past
| and present experience we have had
with them.
GAS fruit and truck growers they
| will be hard to beat, and | see no rea-
son why they cannot be used to adj
vantage for other sorts of farming.
! They soon make fair to good pillow
hands, though at first they are green
| about handling a horse.
| "They are not hard to teach, as
| rule. They want to make money.
| which is their sole object, and they
try to follow Instructions and it is in
| evitable that if they make any, the
| landlord will, too. This immediate
section would never have been what
| it is in so short a time without the
| Italian labor. The price of land is no
| object if they want it and can see
| their way clear to make living on it.
| If they think they can make living
en- 10 acres of land and have $1,000
| they will try it, and not think it too
| much
'They reason that it is that much
| invested from which they can derive
a livelihood and have home besides
| Numbers of them have settled here on
| 10-acre plots and made living and
| saved up money, Notwithstanding the
| fact that the family was CT large size
| So far, we find them peaceful law
abiding citizens without the dreaded
StilettO. This is giving a general his