Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/186

154 continental immigrants, seventy-five go West, and twenty-five remain in the great cities of the East, while of the Irish and English, twenty-five settle in the country, and seventy-five remain in the cities of the East. Thus, about fifty per cent. of all newcomers go to the country, and of these again about seventy-five per cent. to what is now called the West. In 1867, of 242,731 immigrants, only 91,610 declared New York State and City to be the place of their destination; in 1868, out of 213,686, only 65,734 proposed to remain in our city and State; and in 1869, out of 258,989, the total who stated they would remain in New York was 85,810.

A large proportion of those who remain here is made up of the idle, the sickly, the destitute, the worthless, who would become a burden instead of a help to our people, were it not for the wise institution of that fund which, at the least possible cost to the immigrant, yet still at a cost that relieves him from the degradation of eleemosynary aid, provides him with shelter and support. It is this feature of our State emigrant laws which is so admirable, and which, at the same time, for reasons already indicated, it would be most difficult for the General Government to imitate.

The same trifling sum which the immigrant pays to secure himself against the danger of possible sickness or destitution for five years after his arrival, and which is, as it were, the insignificant premium on a policy of health insurance for that time, supports the establishment which takes care of him without burden to the people of the State. It is this feature which invalidates the Western claim for division of the commutation money pro rata, among the States in which the immigrant settles. For the commutation fund is the consideration of a contract between the immigrant and the State of New York, by which the latter binds herself to protect him on his arrival, and for the period of five years thereafter provide him with shelter if destitute, and with medical and other aid if sick.

Contrary to the arguments of those who favor the distribution of the commutation money among the several States to which immigrants go to settle, it is susceptible of proof that such a distribution would eventually result in injury rather than