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 ITALIANS

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ITALIANS

aries of the civil employees, the pensions, and the expenses of worship, only a small part of the national budget remained available for national expenditvires such as the army, navy, public instruction, railways, police, the maintenance of prisons, etc. Under these conditions depreciated labour had to find another field and a better market. Agriculture was no longer profitable, in many places. Unimproved lands, with primitive methods, did not yield great profits, and a large part of these were absorbed l)y taxation.

The letters of the first emigrants announced to their friends the favouraljle coniiitions of tlie labour market abroad, and especially in the United States. A rush of emigrants followed immediately. Soon the good news was confirmetl by returning emigrants, with " fortunes " of a few hundred dollars. Since then the stream of immigration has continued with two inter- ruptions caused by the two great industrial crises of 1893 and 1907. the official statistics of Italian immi- gration into the United States, from 1831 to 1908, are given below. It should be remembered, howe\'er, that the figures previous to 1S90 are not so accurate as those for the succeeding years.

Number op Period. I.mmigrants.

From 1831 to 1870 25,082 '

" 1870 '■ issi) 55,759

" ISSO " ISOO 307,309

1890 52,093

1891 76,055

1892 62.137

1893 72.916

1894 43.967

1895 36,961

1896.. 68,060

1897 . . .59,431

1898,, 58,613

1899 77,419

1900 100,135

1901 135,996

1902 . 178,375

1903 230,622

1904 193,296

1905 221,479

1906 273,120

1907 285,731

1908 128,503

Total 2,743,059

Between 1821 and 1850 the Italian immigration into the United States amounted to 4531. Since then the figures by decades are as follows; — -

Number op Decade. Im.migrants.

1851-1860 9,231

1861-1870 11,728

1871-1880 55,759

1881-1890 307,309

1891-1900 651,899

1901-190S 1,647,102

It should be borne in mind, however, that a large number of immigrants returned to Italy, and there- fore, in the official statistics, some immigrants are necessarily counted twice and even three times. Sta- tistics have not been compiled of the number of immi- grants returning to Italy, but from what has been ob- served during the last few years when more attention has been given to this important phenomenon, it is safe to say that almost one million of the Italians counted in the general total of immigrants into the United States have returned to Ital.v. Their number, however, is perhaps more than made up by the chil- dren of Italian parentage born in the United States. On account of the peculiar environment of the Italian quarters of the great cities, many of these American- born Italians may be considered as Italian rather than

American. The number of the Italians in the United States at the beginning of the year 1910 can therefore be roughly estimated at about 2.2.50,000.

General Ch.ar.acteristics and Distribution. — In the statistics taken by the Federal Government at the immigration station, the Northern Italians are separated from the Southern Italians and Sicilians. From these statistics it appears that, of the total Ital- ian immigration into the United States. SO per cent is composed of Southern Italians and Sicilians. This means that the Latin t}-])e is ethnically predominant among them, since the Northern Italians, as is well known, have a considerable Teutonic element in their composition. One important thing to note is that those Italians who emigrate to the United States with the intention of returning to Italy include only a very small proportion of women. On the whole the women constitute not more than 30 per cent of the Italians in the United States — according to some estimates con- siderabl.v less. But the percentage of Italian women passing through the immigrant station at Ellis Island, which was almost negligible ten years ago, is now rap- idl.y increasing.

Economically, the Italian element has not contrib- uted as largely to the progress of the United States as have other races. They have, however, enjoyed their share of American prosperitv. Italians pav taxes to the City of New York on more than 100,000,000 dol- lars v;4lue of real estate. They have, besides, large sums in the banks. The silk industry is to a large extent in their hands, and so is the fruit and grape industry in California. They carry on an extensive manufacture of macaroni in many cities, while their unwillingness to give up their national dishes is partly responsil>le for the rapid increase of Italian-Amer- ican commerce which, in 1909, exceeded 100,000.000 dollars. Eighty per cent of the Italian immigrants are unskilled workers. The number of skilled workers among them was very small, nearly all the immi- grants being rustics up to a few years ago, but the proportion is rapidly increasing, while the immi- grants from the cities are beginning to come in larger numbers.

Statistics of Italian marriages are lacking, but it is a fact that the Italian prefers to marry an Italian, and many Italian girls cross the ocean by every steamer and are married to the men who have sent for them at the immigration station. Statistics are also lacking as to the birth rate among the Italians in .\merica. In the State of Massachusetts the average number of children in families in which both husband and wife are children of natives, is less than two, while the num- ber in families in which the husband and wife are foreign born is over four. This, perhaps, may be taken to be a fair average for the Italian families in the United States. The Italians can be considered one of the strongest racesamong the immigrants, yet it is sad to note that, on account of the crowding in the cities, of the lack of air in the tenements, and perhaps also because of ignorance of practical hygiene, mortality among them in this country is 3-6 per cent, that is, higher than that of any other nationality. In deaths from measles, tliphtheria, scarlet fever, and broncho- pneumonia, Italians reach a higher percentage than any other nationality.

The Italian working population of the United States is approximately 1,200,000. Of these 800,000 were engaged in agriculture, and 400,000 in trades, mining, etc., before emigration; 1,000,000 living in towns of less than 10,000 population, and 200,000 in larger towns. Their distribution in the United States, in respect to occupations, is as follows; agriculture, 80,000; mining of all kinds, 100,000; factory work, 500.000; building- and railroad-industries, 520,000. In respect of local distribution, 200,000 inhabit towns of less than 10,000 population, and 1,000,000 inhabit larger towns. Hence it appears that the vast majority