Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-24
FARM COLONIES FOR ITALIANS
Senator Villsri Has Plan for Return
ing Emigrsnts.
TRY TO CHECK TUBERCULOSIS
American Climate Il Hard on Immi-
grants and Italy VIII Take
Care of Those who
Return.
TRY TO CHECK TUBERCULOSIS
BY CoNTEssA 1Is1 cIPRIANI.

BY CoNTEssA IIsI CIPRIANI
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau)
Senator Villari, in an article published
recently in the Corriere della Sera OF
Milan. Italy, suggests the formation of a
syndicate to buy up land with the purpose
OF selling it again at cost to the returning
emigrant. This, he thinks, would stop the
undue exploitation of those emigrants who
after years of hardships return to Italy
with a small cash capital with which to
buy homestead. Now they often have
to buy poor land at triple its value. and
finding II impossible to cultivate II with
sufficient profit they are compelled to sell
IT to the man from whom they bought at
such a price as to entirely lose their hard
earned savings.
II the welfare of the returning italian
emigrant demands that they be protected
in any attempt to enter upon agricultural
pursuits in their own country where they
understand the language. public welfare in
the United States demands 1t no less. It
is imperative that large numbers of south
ern emigrants. by no means Italians alone,
should be induced to leave the city and
take up agricultural pursuits but It is
also imperative that limited number of
every facilitation when returning to
agrarian occupations in their own country.
The congestion Of population, the low
standard OF living due to insufficient
wages, and the natural difficulties of ac-
climatization in the rigid northern climate
have resulted in a deterioration of the
race which demands effective curative and
preventive measures. As every emigrant
who has resided in this country more than
three years becomes in case of illness, a
burden to this country, the amazing fig
ures furnished by the Investigations Of the
committees for the prevention of tubercu-
losis suffice to prove the need of con-
certed ND strenuous effort.
Or. Antonio Stella of New York City
sn/s: The proportion of Italian con-
srIAptives returning to Italy in 1903 was 29s
PR thousand; in 1904, 2.75; in 1906, 561 per
thousand. But this average is far below the
tal condition, because it only takes &C.
cNunt of the very advanced bedridden cases
among steerage passengers, isolated I'm the
ship hospital, who constitute a small frac.
ton indeed, as compared to the large arm,
of those in the incipient or moderately ad
vanced stages, and those travelling second
or first cabin. From what l have heart
and seen, am ready to venture the state
ment that fully 80 per cent of the second
class passengers are suffering from tuber.
culosis in some form or other, and during
certain seasons, and on certain chear
lines, the percentage may be still higher
To these appalling figures may be added
the no less impressive statement that last
year the committee for the prevention OF
tuberculosis in New York City found 2o.OOC
cases which had not been reported at any
of the various institutions which treat
tubercular patients. And when we con-
slider that a bed for an adult in a hospital
for tuberculosis can cost no less than $4,000
while the place of child in the children
hospitals treating the various diseases OF
the bones which tuberculosis causes costs
5000. the material interest of the more
fortunate classes in the United States in
lettering conditions is easily brought home
even to the least philanthropically inclined
For all immigrant tubercular patients that
cannot be sent back to their own country
will have to be cared for by public or
private institutions in the United States,