Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-24

and few reach the stage when they are
unable to support themselves before they
have been in this country three years. The
expense to the country, will. with the num-
Der OF cases. increase at a tremendous
rate.
For emigrants from southern Italy the
ideal solution is the establishment Of farm
ing villages. where they could be gathered
in groups and employed as day laborers
until they had gained enough experience
in new methods of cultivation and had
enough money to acquire small farms on
their own account
Southern Italians who come TO this coun-
try though they mainly come from agri-
cultural districts, have only worked as day
laborers on the estates, and the attempt
to make them landhoders with a small
capital and lacking experience can scarcely
be successful. Nor are they accustomed
to the isolation of the life on the farm,
and this is no doubt one of the reasons
why they cannot be induced to leave the
city. The United States could furnish ex-
perts to instruct the people in certain lines
of intensive farming and the Italian gov
eminent would no doubt be willing to assist
in many ways not only in increasing the
number of Italian emgrants ready to settle
in such villages, but in assisting them dur
ing the period of adjustment just as II
morally and financially assists In the camp
schools carried on by the Society for italian
Emigrants.
But a number of southern Italians now
settled in New York and suffering from in
cipient tuberculosis, could be restored to
health and strength in their native climate,
while they are not in condition either to
stand the conditions they find in the city
or to face the rigor OF the northern winter
in the out-of-door work in the country.
And these should as fast as possible be
enabled to return to Italy and take up their
old pursuits here
On the other hand, the agricultural ex-
periments conducted in the United States
have given results which would prove In
valuable to the semi-arid regions of south
ern Italy, and American methods in in
tensive farming, dry farming, preserving
and canning of fruit might bring wealth
to many of our depopulated southern dis
tricts. IL the returning emigrant were
aided in capital and instruction. II
would be highly beneficial to both coun-
tries IL there could be concerted, prompt
and efficient action in dealing with the
encouragement of agricultural pursuits in
the United States and in Italy.
The return of a considerable number OF
Italians afflicted with tuberculosis might
temporarily decrease the immigration to
this country but this should scarcely be
regretted. Statistics show that during the
year 1910 the number of italian immigrants
in the United States had reached the figure
of $4,000. And Senator Villari in one OF
his articles points out there are in Italy
$4,000 agents for the steamship companies
artificially fostering emigration. This is
to the loss of both countries, for Italy
cannot afford to lose its citizens in such
numbers. and New York, where the ma
jority of them stop, is in no way ready tc
receive them. The state and the country
as whole will have to suffer from the
excessive congestion, and anything that
will. IL only temporarily, check immigration
will in every way benefit the United States