GEOGRAPHICAL XOTES 15 



the establishment of day and night schools for adults and children. 

 The educational movement of the masses is at present a very strong 

 one. 



Immigration has played a very important part in the last few 

 decades in the formation of the nation, and owing to the unsettled 

 condition of Europe it is to be expected that we shall witness a con- 

 siderable movement towards Brazil, for it is a mighty land whose riches 

 have hardly been tapped and an increased population is sorely 

 needed. 



The Federal Government of Brazil recognises the value of immi- 

 gration and by means of subsidies assists persons who are agriculturists 

 and who arrive accompanied by their families. The following 

 facilities are given : — Reception at port of arrival, landing of persons 

 and baggage, board and lodging, medical assistance and medicaments 

 until after departure for the locality selected, transportation of persons 

 and baggage by railway or steamer to destination, exemption from 

 duty on baggage and agricultural implements, explanation and 

 information through interpreters who speak various languages and 

 accompany the immigrants to their destination if necessary. The 

 Board of Immigration and Colonization keeps a register of those 

 'fazendas" (estates) where agricultural labourers are required and 

 in the State of Sao Paulo they supervise the labour contracts with a 

 view to preventing unfair conditions being imposed. The immigrant 

 is very fairly dealt with by the Government and has always the right 

 to appeal to the Board of Immigration in case of dispute. 



The Government has also established several colonial riiiclei 

 where lots of 25 hectares are sold at a price varying from 8 to 30 

 railreis per hectare. Immigrants who wish to build their own houses 

 obtain provisional lodgings from the Board of Immigration and 

 Colonization. Payment for the purchase of land begins after the 

 third year and the total amount should be paid within five to eight 

 years.' The Government refunds to families of at least three persons 

 over twelve and under fifty years of age the amount of their ocean 

 passage, not in money, but by deducting it as payment in advance of 

 the purchase price of the house, land and any improvements existing 

 on the selected plot. 



The composition of the immigrants as to nationality is not 

 easy to ascertain, but the Colonization Department of the Ministry 

 of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce stated early in the war that 

 according to its information 116,150 German immigrants had reached 

 Brazil between the years 1820-1912. Italians during the same 

 period accounted for 1,327,808, Portuguese 885,351, Spanish 414,438. 

 Thus the Germans occupy only the fourth in the list of immigrants. 

 Russia supplied 92,413, Austria 75,774, Turkey and Arabia 16,396. 

 Immigration is almost negligible as regards the Northern part of Brazil. 

 The proportion of the foreign element to the inhabitants in the whole 

 of Brazil is about 8 per cent. In the United States of America this 

 figure is approximately 13 per cent, and in Argentine 30 per cent. 



The following are the latest statistics pubhshed by the Bureau 

 of Information of the Ministry of Agriculture : — 



