Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1905 — HORDES OF IMMIGRANTS. [ARTICLE]

HORDES OF IMMIGRANTS.

Inflax of Aliens Is Greater than Ever Before in Our History. A tidal wave of immigration is now breaking on our shores. It is computed by immigration authorities that 1.000,009 aliens will have lauded in the United States in the fiscal year which ends on June 30 next. Tlie figures for March arrivals amply sustain this prediction. As compared with former years, immigration has been steadily rising ever since last November. It is unusual for the rush to set in during the winter season, It seldom begins earlier than -March and the high-water mark is reached in April and May; yet tlie opening months of this year showed almost double the arrivals of the same months of 1904, the record for last January being 41,405. as against 23,129 in January, 1904. and for February, 48.000, as against 28,007 in 1904. This anomalous increase setting in so early in the year portends nothing less than a deluge of foreigners. To carry them over every available passengercarrying ship lias been put in commission and many tramp steamships have been chartered in addition, while all the regular passenger boats are booked to their full capacity for tlie next three months. Strange as it may Seem, industrial and other conditions in tlie United States are known almost as well in Europe as they are here. To every town and hamlet America spells prosperity and gigantic operations in which every man niay have a share. Many come here early in the spring in readiness to work on farms, but by far tlie greater number are laborers who expect to find employment on construction work. Every nook and cranny of Europe is apprised of tlie vast railroad and rapid transit developments now in course of construction or projected, and it is the prospect of work along these lines that is now largely responsible for the unprecedented rush of immigrants. For purposes of comparison it is interesting to look at some of the immigration figures for last year. The total number of alien steerage passengers who arrived at the port of New York during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, was (>08,922. These brought with them $15,030,340, or $24.09 per head* Of nationalities the .south Italians led with u total of 140,225; then came the Hebrews, with 84,910; Germans, with 59,327; Poles, with 50,313; Scandinavians, with 38,274; north Italians, with 55,1187; Irish, with 20,185; English, with 23,500; Slovaks, with 22,425, and Magyars, with 20,028.