The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-16
TOPICS DISCUSSED
 IN NEW YORK CITY Some Facts and Gossip of
 Live Interest WHERE HEAT IS. .T0RTURE Immigration Figures and the Demand for Labor in the south-The
 Italian Ambassador at 7 Work on a Report.
WHERE HEAT lS.TORTURE
BY sEWELL HAeeARp.

New York July 15.-This government, as well as several European governments, are interested in a movement that, if carried out, will go a long way toward solving the scarcity of labor in the south. It is to insure an equitable distribution of the million or more aliens that land in this country every year. by diverting them from the crowded East Side of New York and from Chicago and other large cities to the farming and less thickly populated parts of the country. One of the leaders in this movement Is Signor Mayor des P1anehes, the Italian ambassador who has recently made tour of the south Investigating labor conditions and has communicated his ob- servations to leaders of immigration re- forms in this city. The ambassador Is preparing an exhaustive report for his government on the conditions that exist among his countrymen here, and he will ask that measures be taken at the Italian ports of debarkation to induce those coming to America to seek the agricul- tural sections where labor is not so plentiful He will point out that living conditions in the south and west are much better than in the congested Lit tie Italys" of the great cities.
 The figures show that the south has much less than it's share of foreign born population. There were in the south in 1890 516OO0 foreign born whites, and in 1900 542 O0O, showing an increase of only per cent among the immigrants in the south In 1890 the foreign born popula- tion of the whole country was 9,l0OO0 and in 1900 GOO, an increase Of about 11000O0 or 12 per cent. The expert who prepared these statistics has figured out
 
 whites in the south. He says In the Evening Post:
 on 1890 there were 5S2 ,OO0 white natives of the North Atlantic, North Central and Western states living in the south again excluding Oklahoma and Indian Territory. In 1900 there were 725,OOO' show ing that the southern states at the pres ent time contains 1S3,000 more white na- lives of the north and west than they do white immigrants from abroad.
 In connection with this 1t is interesting to note the number of natives or the south living in the north and west. While many of them leave their birthplace few go abroad to live. In 1890 there were i o3s OO0 natives of the south living out side the south In 1900 the number had increased to 1,116000. But the loss of the south from the migratons of native whites is decreasing. In 1890 the loss was 4bsO00 In 1900 1t was only 391,0O0. Here are the figures on the migration or ne groes from the south:
 .'The net loss of southern negroes by migration to other parts of the country in 1890 was 21S000, and in 1900, 323,00O These figures show that the two races of the south are changing in opposite directions The net loss of southern whites during the decade decreased 5000, and the net loss of the southern negroes increased 105.OO0.'
 The heads of the municipal charities In New York Boston and other principal parts of the entry are doing their best to convince the immigration commissioner Frank Sargent that action is necessary They have pointed out to him the tre- mendous expenditures for the support Of indigent foreigners; the records of the criminal courts the roster of the public hospitals, jails and asylumns and the overfowing habitations of the foreigners in cities as evidence that something must be done to diffuse the alien hordes that come to our shores. It is not meant to dump a criminal class upon the agri- cultural sections Experience has taught that congestion anywhere breeds crimi- nals and a life in the open. without the necessity, as in many cases, of stealing for bread will make good citizens or these people. Commissioners Sargent has made appointments with officials or the transportation lines and the leading ad- yocates of immigration reforms In the cities and some definite plan is likely soon to be devised.