THE PROBLEM OF IMMIGRATION. 535 



slums, it would at least ensure that the reduced number of additions 

 were of a physique rugged enough to withstand the influences of such 

 an existence. It would not materially reduce the number of agricul- 

 tural and industrial unskilled laborers and would permit the admit- 

 tance of plenty of men physically able to do a fair day's work for their 

 employers. 



In the matter of distributing aliens over a wider area, two distinct 

 classes must be considered, the aliens already established in colonies 

 in our cities, and aliens in general who, through ignorance of oppor- 

 tunities offered in different sections of the country, in many instances 

 go to the congested areas rather than to the places where their labor 

 is needed. No plan for the relief of tenement congestion, by better 

 distribution of aliens already established there, can be successful with- 

 out a reduction of the number of yearly steerage arrivals, particularly 

 Gf those classes which tend to congest the cities. Many schemes for 

 the distribution of the aliens congregated in cities have been proposed; 

 some are chimerical, others more practical, but the consensus of opin- 

 ion among philanthropic individuals and representatives of charitable 

 societies is that the process of distribution is necessarily a slow one. 

 The city-dwelling immigrant must be here some three or four years 

 before he knows enough of our language and customs to enable him to 

 be self-supporting away from his own race. It seems also that distri- 

 bution must be effected individually rather than by colonies. The 

 experience of the great Hebrew charitable societies at least bears out 

 this view. Their efforts at wholesale rural colonization have almost 

 in every instance failed, and the colonies established with few excep- 

 tions required the paternal aid of the society constantly. On the other 

 hand, the same organizations have distributed several thousand Jews, 

 who have been here some time and have learned something of Ameri- 

 can ways, in various parts of the country, and these have been almost 

 uniformly successful. As has been said, some of the Hebrew colonies, 

 which were failures as farming communities solely, were made self- 

 supporting by the introduction of clothing factories. The establish- 

 ment of such industrial colonies is of distinct service in relieving the 

 congestion in the cities, and should be encouraged in spite of the claim 

 made by some that the competition from the rural shop is ruinous to 

 the clothing trade. From all that can be learned the clothing industry 

 in New York can sustain its own low standard in competition with any 

 number of rural shops. 



When one considers how slowly the work of distributing the excess 

 alien population of the tenement districts goes on in spite of the best 

 effort of societies, individuals or municipal officers, the necessity is at 

 once apparent either to stop altogether the annual reenforcement of 

 this tenement population, or, at least, ' so reduce the number of addi- 



