172 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



recently been made by Chevaliers Eossi and Eossati as to the con- 

 ditions and prospects of Italian immigrants in the Mississippi delta; 

 the plans which are being formed for the transportation of tens of 

 thousands of Italians to the southern states, either by the new direct 

 steamship line from Italy to New Orleans or by the train-load from 

 the slums of New York and of other northern cities or direct from 

 Ellis Island — it all sounds like an attractive program for the Italians. 

 But does the scheme sound altogether as attractive to those southerners 

 who have the best interests of their own country at heart, and who fully 

 appreciate how grave are the social and political responsibilities which 

 already weigh upon their fair land? The south should think twice 

 before it allows its capitalists and its railroads to flood the country 

 with ' cheap ' and ignorant alien laborers. A leading newspaper of 

 the south has recently said that the southern states want no such immi- 

 grants as have crowded the east side of New York and the factories of 

 New England. Unless steps are taken by the south to prevent it, much 

 the same conditions may be developed there within a few years. 



5. Wholesale Distribution soon involves Foreign ' Colonies.' — One 

 of the objects of the agricultural distribution of our recent immigrants 

 is to prevent the congestion of the different nationalities in colonies, 

 by scattering these people, as it is said, ' among the native population.' 

 Now while distribution in country districts does, of course, in all 

 cases, prevent such congestion as is characteristic of city slums, the 

 tendency for recent immigrants from southern and eastern Europe to 

 herd together in settlements of their own is almost as marked in the 

 country as in the cities. Moreover, this unfortunate tendency — un- 

 fortunate because it retards assimilation — is in many cases fostered by 

 philanthropic societies and by railroad and land companies. The fol- 

 lowing headings, clipped at random from newspapers of recent dates, 

 show how distinctly the much-talked-of ' agricultural distribution ' of 

 our newer immigration tends towards the formation of alien colonies. 

 " Poles going to Michigan. The Milwaukee branch of the Polish 

 National Alliance of America has purchased 50,000 acres. It is 

 planned to establish other large colonies." " The latest phase of the 

 New Zion problem is to purchase a large tract of land in Wisconsin 

 for the immigrant Jews from Eoumania and from Bussia." " Jewish 

 colony for Michigan. Eussian and Polish refugees to settle on the line 

 of the Escanaba and Lake Superior E. E. They are brought by a 

 committee in New York." " Hungarians coming to Texas. About 

 500 families from southern Austria to settle on line of Southern 

 Pacific." " Hungarian colony planned. A $200,000 company to es- 

 tablish town sites in Jackson Co., Arkansas. E. E. Barclay, Immigra- 

 tion Agent of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern E. E., is the 

 chief stockholder." (The last sentence is significant of the moving 



