Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-14
The Flood Of Immioratjon.

There is something staggering in the
Official announcement that more than
100000 immigrants entered the
United States during the fiscal year
which ended with the first of the
present month. The exact number
was 1.112.0o0, which is an increase Of
over 100000 compared with the pre-
ceeding year. With a population of
but little over SO.OOO.OOO this country
is undertaking a stupendous task in
the matter of assimilation when it
receives over 100000 newcomers in
single year, practically all of them
ignorant of our language, laws, GUS
toms and institutions. and seeking a
refuge mere in the vague realization
that this land Of freedom and Of OPP
in this problem of assimilation is that
the great part of these immigrants
remain herded in the great cities
A generation ago the great bulk of
our newcomers were German, Irish,
English and Scandinavian. but there
has been a change In the character of
the immigration. which is even more
remarkable than the great increase in
numbers. Most of last years new i'm
migrants were from Italy. Austria and
Russia; certainly class much less
desirable than that of earlier times
Although our immigration laws are
much less stringent than they should
he for our national good it is to be
noted that by no means all the people
who applied We're admitted through
the gates. No fewer than 5000 We're
deported after reaching American
shores, many of these because they
We're criminals, but most of then be-
cause they were suffering from dis
eases of one kind or another Doubt
less great many succeeded in getting
in who should have been debarred
even under the existing laws
In looking over the tables of i'm
migration figures there are three
notable groups of years of five years
each. In the fifties the period follow
ing the great Irish famine and the
European political disturbances of
lS4S. there were about 100000 immi-
grants admitted in half decade
Then there was falling off in the
stream for a time until some years
after the Civil War. The revival from
the panic years of the seventies was
followed by another half decade of ex-
ceedingly large Immigration. For the
five fiscal years beginning in 1880 the
immigration was about 5000. 900. being
largely from Germany. Then there
was another falling off followed by
irregular fluctuations for a decade
Then came the period of unprecedented
Prosper't" which we have enjoyed
under Republican rule, and for the last
i've fiscal years the immigration has
c'-Sii hiicSt chdCtly f,0UD.UDD. L Is TO
be observed, however, that though the
absolute number of immigrants is
greater for the last period than for
either of the others it is a contribution
to much larger resident population.
The census of 1850 gave population
OF 23.l9Ls76. that of 1880 gave 5O,155.-
1873, and that Of 1900 gave 76,3O3.3S7.
Hence the fresh foreign element intro
duced in the early sos was greater in
proportion to the population than the
larger immigration of later years,
Those who are alarmed by the great
HOOD OF immigration find something
reassuring In this fact, but it is never
theless well agreed that our immigra-
tlon laws are altogether too lax, and
that the United States has reached q
point where it should be much more
discriminating in welcoming aliens.