The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-18
DR.. LUGU| VALLARI
ON IMMIGRATION
Tells Why Italians Prefer the
Northern States
FIND RELATIVES THERE
1t Is Also Claimed BY Dr. valsr That
They Find Prejudice Against
the Nationality In the
South.

DR.. Lugui Vallari, vice consul for Italy
passed through Birmingham yesterday on
his way to New Orleans, where he has
his headquarters
In the course of a conversation he said
he was returning from Nashville, where
he had been to attend the immigration
convention, and that he considered great
practical good would follow the discussion
| on the labor question in the south and
| which, to judge from the amount of in
terest and earnestness shown by all pres
ent, is a very important question
In speaking of Italian immigrants, DR..
Vallari said that his principal business
was with the subject of Italian labor in
Louisiana and Mississippi. and that he
could speak with some knowledge of it.
He said that in these two states the
Italians had been formerly employed on
sugar plantations, but that in the last
few years these men showed a DISPOSE
ton to move into the towns or else to
buy or rent small patches of ground and
raise truck.
The Sicilians.
DR.. Vallari said there are many rea-
| sons why the Italian emgrant prefers
| the middle and northern states to the
southern states, although the climte of
the southern states is more congenial to
him. He said that, in the first place. no
| man leaves Italy who can manage to
make a living there, as the Italians are
| very patriotic; that only those who were
crowded out left the country. They were
| not the scourings of the population, as
some in this country imagined, they were
| the overflow which was bound to find
room somewhere. These people," said
DR.. Vallari. ARE mostly from the island
of Sicily, which is about one-fifth the
size of Alabama, and has population of
100000, and perhaps more. The inhab-
| itants are almost all of the agricultural
class and the land being limited in size
a considerable number must leave every
year"
| In reply to the question why 1t was
that the Italians preferred the northern
and middle western states DR.. Vallari
| said there was already a large italian
population in these states and that i'm
migrants preferred to go where their
language was understood and where
| their friends were to be found; that near
| ly all the immigrants from Italy con-
sisted of people who had relatives here
already and that every year that condi-
ton grow larger. lie said that the wages
paid in these states was better than in
the southern states, and that the Italian
was not put in competition with the
negro. He said that many people in the
south, especially the uneducated people,
were disposed to put the Italian in the
same class with the negro and that the
Italian did not like that. lie also said
that the Italians are, as rule, sober,
industrious and hardworlking class of peo-
| pie; that all this talk about anarchists
and bomb throwing does not apply to the
Italian people, but merely to few MEM
bers of clubs where such doctrines are
taught and that nearly every country in
the world today has It's anarchist clubs
and bomb-throwers.
The Steamship Lines.
Another reason why Italian immigrants
did not come south, DIR. Vilar said, was
|
from Italy to New York, and that tbs
railroads carry immigrants west for much
less fare than they carry them south. He
thought if there were direct steamship
lines from Italy to New Orleans there
would be marked increase in the mum
Der of immigrants to the SOUTH that dur
ing the year 1904 very few Italians camt
to the southern states, but that last year
nearly 1000 came direct to New Orleans or
steamers from Italy. In speaking of th'
criminal statistics so far as the Italian:
are concerned, he said that very few OF
them figured before the courts for seri
Gus offenses. He said the Italian was ma
turally happy and contented sort o.
fellow, inclined to make the most out Of
life, not always from a money viewpoint
That the Italian liked to own his homC
and keep his family around him, ant
, that the proof of this might be found il
the city of Ensley, where the Italians
who came there only a few years ago
} to work in the steel plant and furnaces
had now over 100000 worth of property
DIR. Vilari said that there was only
one man at the convention In Nashville
than Italian labor, but his statement /!
overcome by the fact that the grea
manufacturers and mine operators ant
railroad builders in the north employ
Italian labor and would be glad to bring
more immigrants into the country If the
laws did not forbid it.
So far as settling on the land ant
starting in farming directly he arrives
DIR. Villari said the immigrant does no
bring enough money with him to do so
and that he had to look for work anC
daily wages.
THE Italian does not come to thi!
country" said DR. Vlllari from choice
but from necessity. He comes here t.
work and make living for himself ant
his family. About so per cent of them re
main permanently and train tLeir children
according to American ideals and Gus
toms.
Would Benefit the South.
''They would be II very great benefit Il
the south where there is so much idle lant
and so fine a climate. They don't like tC
be spoken of as dagos and considered
unfit to mix with Americans. The Italian.
are proud of their contributions to art
science, literature and military achieve
ments. In the north they find that NJ
prejudice exists towards them, but in tn,
| south there Is a certain amount Of
prejudice. If that feeling could be over
come it is likely the Italians would com,
, | here In much larger numbers"