The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05
Experiments and Results
in Eastern Carolina.
A DESIRABLE LAB0RER
From Northern and Middle Italy Come
Men Whose Work il is Believed
Would Help to Solve the Labor
Problem OF the
South.

THE need Of the South Of immi-
grafton is too obvious for argument J
believe" said a gentleman III Raleigh
Yesterday. Tho Italian could do
more than any other race, probably,
| to help build up the South, just as
| the Germans and Scandinavians help
cd to build UP the West. On the other
hand. the South offers some special
Inducements to that race. It's culnate
| is more agreeable than that of the
North or West, and the products OF
| its soil are much like those Of Sunny
| italy
I'm view of these facts, it Is not sur
prisine that efforts are being put forth
with view to directing southwark
| the tide of Italian immigration now
coming to this country. These efforts
promise 10 meet with a large measure
OF success.
Though there will always be found
among any considerable number of
italians, as among any considerable
number of immigrants of any other
.,e some VINO are worthless, those
from northern and middle Italy possess
many qualities which make them de-
sira bic laborers ana fit them to become
small land owners. AS q rule, they are
industrious, temperate and frugal. 1t
estate and become substantial citizns.
'Tnouiries have been made regard
ing recent experiments In the employ
ment of Italian labor in Eastern North
Carolina, where the demand IS
great for the class Of labor more re-
liable than that VIII oh is now supplied
by the negro. Replies TO these in
quiries are, in almost every case, taVof-
a bic.
"At Dover, - c.. Italians have
been employed in saw mill work. Mr..
d. w. Richardson general manager
Of the Goldsboro Lumber Company at
that place, writes rs follows, concern
ing his experiments with them:
We had sometime ago. about %
italians employed We had consider
able trouble with them in not being
able to get them To work regulry.
think, however, that this was Largely
III to the dissatisfaction they had with
the work and the manner III which
the padrone treated them. | UNDER
stand he had promised them great
things when they Were taken from
New York and when they got mere.
those things did not materialize.
we paid them $500 and $l.25 a
day. based on their ability 10 do the
work. While they worked. their SER
vices were satisfactory. | do not think
that young Italians without their fam
lies would stick to their work in this
section They can make much better
wages in large cities, doing heavy class
Of work than our people in this coun-
try are willing To pay and after COM
ing down here, they become dissaus
fed and naturally return North. If
the Italians could be settled here.
with their families, ! think they would
help us to overcome the labor ques-
ton and would go far ways toward
making the negro labor less indepcnd-
ent. I think. comparing Italian labor.
with the negro labar rs TO the amount
Of work each can accomplish, that the
italian labor has the preference over
our negro labor OF this day.
eat New Fern. y. c., large Num-
Der of Italians have during the past
year been engaged in construction
work on the Panico, Oriental IL West
ern Railroad. OF them Mr.. w. a. Gull
len, president OF the Cullen Construc-
ton Company. has this to say:
We have about so men. We are
paying these men S1.35 q day of ten
hours What negro labor We have we
pay at the rate Of SIPS pr day. No
better labor thar Italian can be pro
cured for RAILROAD work; they are
peaceable; have given us absolutely
no trouble, and we believe they would
prove to be yely desira BILE citizens for
such good farming locality as this
| section of the State. 1t is the writer $
| opinion that the introduction Of ltai-
| ians into this part of North Carolina
would be q very good policy. and this
| opinion is born of experiments he has
| had with this nationality in operating
| here and at other parts of the United
States. The writer has had seventeen
| or eighteen years experience employ
/. ing italian labor, and in employing
| this labor the universal custCm---in
| fact the only practicable methods to
make arrangements FOR whatever force
you require through an Italian
padrone. In our employ, as q fore
| man. we have very reliable, expert
| enced man of this character, with
| whom we make all arrangements for
| the securing of Italians. This men as
| WELL runs q commiSSaIy, feeding,