Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-05-03
Rush OF IMMIGRANTS.

| lnefe are HOW OH the ocean ana
will arrive in New York as many
newcomers to this country from for
eign lands as there IRE people In Den.
yer, Colo, and almost as many as
there are people in indianapolis, Ind;
Rochester, N, Y, or half a dozen other
important cities, that are looked OH
as centers of population. Within the
month of Apri! there have been I'M
| loaded from immigrant ships more
! than hundred thousand strangers
who have come to make their homes
| In this country. and before the month
is passed the number will be swelled
TO more than one hundred and fifty
thousand. In this connection two
questions are continually asked
where do the people come from I!
Where do they all go? They come
from all countries of tho old world,
where conditions of life for the poor
are not what they are in this coun-
try. AS an instance. II Is said Rus
sia will send fuzzy 100000 TO us with
In the year. While all old nations
contribute to this vast army of immi.
grants, II Is said that just now Italy
Is sending the greatest number Most
Of these are laborers. and large per-
ccntage hope to find homes OH farms
In the, TO them, new world With
such an influx 1t is hard to see how
the scarcity Of labor reported in many
parts of the country Is going to con-
tinue. 1t Is fact, however, that the
labor thus coming in is being rapidly
absorbed. The vast improvements
now In progress in and about New
York-srcatcr In the aggregate than
the work of constructing the Panama
/, canal-are calling for common labor
on Il very large scale. Railroad build
ing and repair work, notwithstanding
the statements heard from time To
time that mo extensive new work Is
TO be undertaken right away" arc
hampored for want of men to do the
work already mapped out. Public I'M
provemcnts under the governments
control, including the great irrigating
projects and other operations In the
West, are not adequately supplied
with labor These facts answer the
question:: Where do tho immigrants
all go? One reason for the rush Of
newcomers just at this time is that
the new immigration law goes into
effect In about two months, and the
restrictions under II Will be more
closely drawn than the law now
makes them.
These restrictions need to be much
strlcter than they are. While 1t is
true that the United States still has
room and need for millions of now
inhabitants, the time has long since
gone by when the country had to
have people regardless of the kind.
Good people are what are now need
cd, and the country can afford to be
particular as TO the physical, moral
and social condition Of its new citi
Hcns. Protection Of our own people
ana OF the desirable people among
the cwcomcrs demands that the lines
l., closely drawn. and that the nations
Of the old world shall no; be permit
ted to unload upon our shores their
dcrcllcts, their paupers, or their Grim.
mails. We want more people, and we
have plenty OF room and plenty of
work for tncm, but we want the best
people of the earth. To secure, these
certain safeguards have been thrown
around immigration in the shape of
restrictions in the new law. 1t is to
be hoped these restrictions will be
given full weight and Importance in
the administration of thnt law