The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-12-26
NEW PHASES OF AN OLD PROBLEM

SANSNN ''CNNAN' ~ EOCHAN AC--A CA4N
place to another, for purpose of
settlement or conquest, but no
phase of the question of ebb and
flow of population has ever been
more interesting than that which
is presented to Thoughtful students
of the movement at the present
time. For years the people of the
United States have watched with
wonder the figures showing the in
crease in immigration, and the
more timid have been filled with
grave misgiviDgs as to the results
of this great wave of human beings
which apparently rose higher and
higher every year. Now, for the
first time, we have an opportunity
to study the problem from a differ
ent point Of view.
But for the sudden check upon
our business a few weeks ago it is
quite probable that no attention
would have been paid to the larger
but practically unnoticed move
ment of foreigners from this coun-
try back to those lands from
which they came. The people
of America have noted that
a million aliens were landed
on our shores every twelve months
and assumed that this meant an
addition Of that number of individ-
uals to our populations. This
seems to be very far from the
truth. In fact, from the best
sources available, it appears that
the movement from our shores this
year will mount up to the enor-
nous total of between four and
FIVE hundred thousand, and while
this is exceptional there can be
little doubt that the real increase
in the population of the United
States through immigration has
been some hundreds of thousands
less every year than would appear
on the surface to be the case.
III times past we have been
told that foreign countries lament
ed the departure from their shores
of so many of the best workmen,
entailing a great economic loss to
these countries. Yet the unparal
leled movement in this country 10
the home land seems to have Gre
ated problem far greatet than
that which resulted when the
movement was to and not from the
United States. Reports from Italy
especially indicated that the task
of finding employment or other
wise providing for one or two hun
dred thousand returning emigrants
is a gigantic one, and the local
authorities are alarmed at the
possible effect it may have upon
conditions there. Austria Hun
gary, too, has noted the swing of
the pendulum, and there has been
a remarkable rise in the value of
realty throughout the empire as
result Of the demand by natives re-
turning to their old homes. This
rise in value, of course, has not
been to the advantage of the poor
man, and with the labor market
glutted by men returning from
America the situation is 50 serious
as to cause grave concern to the
government.
In this country the great en-
ployers of foreign labor have be-
gun to do little thinking along
different line. The foreign work
men have not given the full worth
of the money paid them is not in
timated, but it is said that the in
dependent coke operators in Pitts
burg and Connellsville have arriv
ed at the apparently paradoxical
decision that it is possible to de-
crease the cost of producing coke
by increasing the pay of the work
men. That is, they figure that by
employing none but American
born or naturalized citizens. and
paying them higher wages, they
may, because of the superiority of
the Americans, decrease the cost
of production.
The difference between the value
of the American and that of the