The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-06-14
COL. HOBBS on IMMIGRATION.
Tells OF the Glass Of Immigrants
South Needs-Has Studied the
- ...'& Subject. : /. ~. .E..

VINO mas Deon Ill attendance ,upon
one commencement exercises in New
berry during the week, and who al.
ways takes great interest in his
alma mater and comes as frequently
as ne can to the commencement exer-
clses, has had considerable experi-
ence during his life, having spent
several years in Australia. During
his residence in Australia one of the
governments Of that country sent
him as its special agent into Europe
TO study the question Of securing de-
sirable immigrants. The government
at that time had appropriated one
half million dollars for the purpose
OF encouraging desirable immigra-
ton.
! Col. Hobbs spent some time in Eu-
rope studying this question. For the
last several years he has been living
Ill New York, where he has had fine
opportunity to study the class of i'm
migrants who are landing in this
country, New York being the chief
port OF entry. He is therefore we'll
equipped, by study of the question,
! both i'll Europe and in this country,
t" talk intelligently on it, and, there
fore. The Herald and News has re-
qucsted for publication the following
statement from him on this import
ant question. 1t has been quite a live
issue in our state and in fact in the
entire south in recent years, due large
ly to our peculiar situation and the
conditions which surround us in
this section.
'ltalian labor Of the kind. now
coming into this country is the most
ignorant and badly bred, from the gen
eral point Of view, Of any labor to be
found in Europe. The Italians Of
lower Italy, and especially those Of
lower Sicily and the boot, are of an
entirely different type from the Ital-
ians Of northern Italy-those that
made Tuscany and the country about
Genoa famous. In fact, the Italians
themselves in northern Italy regard
their fellow countrymen Of the low
er portion of the kingdom as cut
throats and criminals of the worst
type.
eff America could induce the thrift
ty-bred and better type of Italians
those found in northern Italy-to
come to this country, we would have
most excellent type Of people in
our industrial and commercial life.
Those'coming here now are known as
padrones Or slaves. They are worked
under the padrone or "boss" system,
being hired by the contractor, leased
by contractors and worked under a
contractor for whomsoever.
"These people are of as law a NOR
al type as the negro, with the addi-
tional danger of being Chased as
whites and thereby being enabled to
lntermix with our own race. The "un-
written law" has many hundred per
cent of violation in New York, more
today than years ago. These viola
tons are on the increase and this ap-
palling state is due entirely to what
are known locally as the Dago or
Italian immigrant class. In the su-
burban districts of New York city,
girls Of frome six to fourteen and
! fifteen years are not safe except un-
der the eye Of some grown person.
These facts are not published in the
daily papers.
The Police Department finds itself
unable to cope with the vast number
of instances reported to them, be.
cause these Italians are mostly organ
lied into associations or bands, which
are protective in their operation and
almost criminal in their intent, hence,
we have the Black Hand, and Malta
and other organizations Of their kind.
"This class of immigrants on ac-
count Of their criminal tedency and
lack of common lecency-because Of
the low level Of morality in their own
native sections-would tend to not
only pollute high moral standard
and degrade the virtuous type Of
southern manhood and womanhood
but they are Unfit for any except
what is commonly known as contract
work-railroad building, street paw
ing, ditch digging and such work.
"These people are not aoricultural-