SOME ASPECTS OF THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN POPULATIONS 55 1 



Additional evidence relevant to this discussion is afforded 

 by an examination of the immigration statistics. In the year 

 ending June 30, 1926, the net immigration (immigrants 

 minus emigrants) of persons who had some occupation 

 amounted to 133,752 persons. This figure is arrived at 

 after deducting from the total net immigration 93,744 net 

 immigrant persons of "no occupation," who were chiefly 

 women and children. 



Among the 133,725 immigrants having an occupation the 

 percentage distribution was as follows: 



Percentage oj total net irnmigrajits 

 Occupational class having an occupation 



Professional 6.8 



Clerical 1 1 . 9 



Agriculture iQ- i 1 



Skilled laborers (chiefly manufacturing) 23.3 |- 50.2 



Laborers 7-8j 



Servants 19.5 



Fifty per cent of the net immigration falls in the three 

 occupational classes at the extreme right-hand end of Figures 

 10 and II. These classes not only have the greatest fertility 

 but they are the classes into which immigration is most 

 heavily attracted. All this is a part of the picture of a pre- 

 dominantly industrial type of social organization. It needs 

 all the time more and more workers if it is to continue to 

 maintain or increase the average standard of living of its 

 inevitably growing population. 



CONCLUSION 



In this chapter I have attempted to discuss a few of the 

 many biological problems presented by human population 

 from the viewpoint of objective, quantitative science. Some 

 of the points discussed are the subject of major controversy 

 from the sociological and humanitarian viewpoints. But with 

 such controversies human biology, if it expects to be regarded 

 as a science, can have no concern. Its primary objective 

 must be to describe the phenomena accurately and in 

 quantitative terms, and not to attempt to justify them, or 

 deplore them, or get alarmed about them, or have any 

 emotional reactions about them whatever. Perhaps when a 

 clear, comprehensive and precise understanding of the 



