Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 07.djvu/56

* EMIGRATION. iO infinite variety of circumstances may have a deciding influence. Effects. As to the effect of emigration upon the mother country, opinions are most diverse, and if no general agreement lias been reached it is because the elements in the problem are so complex. Emigration seems on the face of it to retard the growth of population, and in Ireland it has caused a large decrease in the number of inhabitants. The following table, compiled by tin- Italian Statistical Office, is offered in evi- dence : EMIGRATION. COUNTRY Emigration. 1890 Emigrants per 1000 inhab. Excess of births over deaths per 1000 inhab. Italy 115,595 20,560 218,116 139,979 20,653 57,484 97,103 28.236 27,422 _ 6!693 30,128 10,991 10,298 3.88 54 5.77 4.82 5.07 12.15 2.02 1.18 1.79 2.28 5.34 5.53 4.79 9 52 England and Wales 9.86 10.69 12 15 4 11 11.38 10 83 12 27 11 51 The table shows in its first column a large absolute emigration from England and Wales, Italy and German} ; but turning to the second column we observe that these countries do not >hov the largest relative emigration, being ex- <<•«-< Ii ■• 1 by Ireland, which has quite an exceptional po ition, and by Norway, Sweden, and Scotland. (In I In- other hand, it cannot but be observed from the second column that even in Ireland and much more so in the other countries the figures are very small as compared with the population. Nor should it be forgotten thai the loss often is offset not only by the natural growth oi popu- lation, but sometimes, as in Fiance, by immigra- tion. Again, on (lie theory that emigration car- ries off the surplus population, it is thought by some thai were there no emigration the excess or bill lis over deaths would not be so large as ii actually is. All this is speculation, and we i bi i hi back to the starting-point that emi- gration involves a 1<>-s of population. The Loss by Emigration. But opinion is by no means unanimous that such a Io*s is an evil. increasing population may or maj not he a il gain. In certain regions there can be no doubt that increase tends to overpopulation, but i hi ca 'in"' be a lerted of Europe genera lly. It is, however, pointed out that emigrants are a- a rub' grown men in the active years of life. in fact, oft in' arrivals in the I nited State in i . 80.1 per cent, were adult males be- tween the ages of fourteen and forty-five, while in the |in|iiilat inn at large there were in 1900 only I7.i'i7 per cent, between the ages of fifteen and i i ion me in a loss of odied wot I ers. How great is the 1" ! pi have been made to est imate tbis. One method, that of the celebrated Ger- 1 reckons the value of an nt by the m-i of bis education and rear- • 'ib.'i n lit' i insist that his value I by his productive capacity, and claim that eit hi r t he i al im ome oi a labor- rat least the i in i ii i over his personal consumption, should be taken as a basis for calculating the capital which such income represents. Results will vary according to circumstances and methods of calculation, but they vary from a capitalized value of $200 to $2000 per head, which with an emigration of 100.000 persons would mean an annual loss of these figures are, they shrink into insignificance when compared with the national wealth of Great Britain or of Germany or even of Italy, the only countries which furnish an annual emigra- tion of 100,000 persons. Moreover, it is not universally conceded that these calculations are right in principle, that men as such have a value to the community which represents a capital sum. Still, if emigration is regarded as a positive loss, it must, on the other hand, be granted that it has compensation in helping build up new markets for the mother country. In short, the conditions which surround emigration are so complex that any general rule of its value or harmfulness to the mother country must be so guarded as to be practically valueless. Relation of the Government to Emigra- tion. The attitude of the State toward emigra- tion has been influenced not so much by economic considerations as by political and sentimental motives. It has ranged from positive encourage- ment tn absolute indifference and positive opposi- tion. The attitude of governments has been greatly influenced by the possession of colonies or by their absence. Whenever the State has had distant colonies it has sought to direct the stream of emigration to them, and has offered particular inducements to intending colonii-t<. Before the establishment of self-government in the Australian colonies, Great Britain organized in 1837 a board of colonization commissioners, succeeded in 1840 by the Colonial Land and Emi- gration Board, whose chief function was to pro- vide emigrants for the colonics, by spreading information and by assisting emigrants with passage money. France in like manner provides special encouragement for French settlers in Algeria, and Germany is entering the same path as respects its possessions in Africa. Coloniza- tion societies with the support of the Govern- ment authorities offer another opportunity for the State to show its interest in promoting emigrat ion. Slates which have no colonies of their own have either sought to discourage emigration or have remained indifferent to it. In the early 'lavs of last, eenturj emigration was an offense against the law in many countries of Continental Europe. Such restrictions have long since passed a nay, ami were succeeded by complete indiffer- ence, emigrat ion becoming a private matter which the State had to tolerate, bui in which it took no part. The movement has, however, reached a. ii proportions thai i t of trhe European stairs have passed laws designed to protect in- tending emigrants anil to prevent reckless emi- grat ion. Such laws cist. in England, in Bel- gium since 1876, Switzerland since 1888, Italy since 1889, Germany and Austria since 1897. These law have many features in common. The maritime nations prescribe rules for the trans- portation of emigrants, and establish inspecting officers to carry them out. These rules extend to the Fitness of the vessels employed, ilnir sea-
 * 2u.000,000 to $200,000,000. Considerable as