The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-04-08
Immigrants Is 4 +. /.
. COME f.. IN \ THOUSANDS
Immigration. n. e. the. United
States Exceeds All Records
Of tho Past.
Veritable Tidal Wave Of HUI
manity Sweeps on From
/: Europe to America.

NEW YORK, April e-More than
100000 immigrants win be added to
the population Of the United States in
the current fiscal year. II the estimates
of the government officials hold good.
The tloodgates Of Europe are wide
open and a great tidal wave Of human
ity Is sweeping upon these shores. All
the indications point to a record break
ing year, and the figures for March
sustain this view. Ten vessels with
s,sss immigrants arrived in New York
last Friday and Saturday. Govern
ment officials estimate that $4,000 more
will arrive in the next 10 days.
These immigrants are attracted by
and the opportunity, to find work with
out difficulty. More than 70 per cent
of the italians are expected to seek
work in building railroads. About one
half Of the newcomers from Germany
and ireland are young women in
search Of places az house servants. and
every one Of them Is sure of home
and good pay.
AS compared with former years, i'm
migration has been steadily rising ever
since last November. It is unusual for
the rush to set in during the winter
season. It seldom begins earlier than
March and the highwater mark is
reached in April and May; yet the
opening month sof this year showed al
most double the arrivals Of the same
months of 1904. The record for last
January was 41,4o5; as against 23,12s
in January, 1904 and for February 49,,
geo, as against 2S,067 I'M 1904.
This increase SO early In the year
portends nothing less than deluge OF
foreigners. To carry them over every
available passenger-carrying ship has
been put in commission and many
tramp steamships have been chartered
in addition, while all. the regular pas
senger boats are booked to their full
capacity for the next three months.
It is estimated that $4,000 persons
will arrive in the present month,
against $1,000 for the corresponding
month last year.
In round numbers 10000 immigrants
arrived in New York in the week which
closed last Saturday. Of this total
number about 1900 brought from British
ports are English-speaking people and
Scanddnavians, with a sprinkling OF
Hebrews: 1925 are Poles and Germans
from Bremen; about 1900 are north
Italians and Hebrews who sailed from
Havre; 1850 are mostly Hebrews sail
ing from Antwerp; 931 are Scandinav-
ians, sailing from Christian1a, and 1857
or about 40 per cent Of the total, are
south Italians. =: 49,"
Those who study the. matter closely
say the: quality Of these Immigrants is
distinctly above the average. For the
most part they are not the penniless
ofr-scourings of Europe, but thrifty men
and women who have come here to
work in the belief that it will pay them
better than it ever could athome. The
fact that the average steerage rate is
now $50 means that only the better
class can afford to come.
Industrial and other conditions in
the United States are known almost as
we'll in Europe as they are here. To
ever ytown and hamlet America spells
prosperity and gigantic operations in
which every man may have share.
many come mere early III the spring III
readiness to wor kon farms, but by
far the greater number are laborers
who expect to find employment in con-
struction work. Every nook and cram
ny Of Europe is apprised of the vast
railroad and rapid transit developments
now in course Of construction, or pro-
jected, and it Is the prospect Of work
along these lines that is now largely
responsible for the unprecedented rush
of immigrants.
The total number of alien steerage
passengers who arrived at the port OF
New York in the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1904, was 60S,992. These
brought, with them $15,o36, $40, or $24.ee
per head. OF nationalities the south
italians led, with total Of 140,225;
then came the Hebrews, with $3.50;
Germans, with 5s.s27; Poles, with 5o,s13;
scandinayians., with 3s,274; north Ital-
ians. with :56.6s7; Irish, with 1916;
English, with $3.50: slavs, with 22,425;
and Magyars, with 20.62&