II. Immigrant Aliens1 Destined for Mas. sachusetts, 1898-1907. From the Annual Report of the Commissioner-General of Immigration for the year ending June 30, 1907, has been selected material which enables us to bring up to date the consideration of the subject of immigrant aliens destined for Massachusetts, which was published in Labor Bulletin No. 49 for May, 1907. Numerically considered, Massachusetts has always been one of the leading States in this country as an avowed destination for immigrants. For the last seven years 2 it has been either third or fourth in rank, having been exceeded only by New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. On the basis of the estimated population of Massachusetts on May 1, 1907 (3,115,750), the number of immigrant aliens declaring this State to be their destination (85,583) was one for every 36.4 residents in the State as compared with one for every 41.4 persons in 1906. The actual number of immigrant aliens destined for Massachusetts has shown for each year over the previous year, with the exception of the one year, 1904, a steady increase since 1895. During the years 1892 to 1895 there was an increase each 1 An "immigrant alien" is a person, not already a citizen of the United States, who enters this country with the avowed intention of settling here and who is not returning to resume a domicile formerly. acquired here. The years referred to throughout this article are in each case the years ending June 30. In this table the returns for 1906 and 1907 are not strictly comparable with those for the earlier years because in 1905 and in prior years all aliens arriving at ports of the United States, with the exception of those merely in transit to other countries, were reported as "alien arrivals." During the years 1906 and 1907 there have been segregated from those arriving not only aliens in transit, but all aliens returning from visits abroad to resume previously established permanent domiciles in the United States, and all coming simply as visitors or tourists with the intention of returning to homes abroad. The totals for the years 1898 to 1905 are directly comparable with each other as they stand in the table. migrant aliens admitted to the United States, the decrease varying from 10.40 per cent in 1898 to 6.66 per cent in 1907. On the other hand, with the exception of the year 1904, numerical increases in the numbers of immigrant aliens destined for Massachusetts are noted annually from 1898 to 1907. During the five-year period, 1898-1902, out of a total of 2,126,247 immigrant aliens admitted to the United States, 186,805, or 8.79 per cent, declared their destination to be Massachusetts and during the five-year period 1903 to 1907, out of a total of 5,082,499 immigrant aliens, 355,765, or an even seven per cent, so declared their destination. During the ten-year period, 1898-1907, inclusive, 542,570 immigrant aliens, or 7.53 per cent of the total 7,208,746 admitted, were destined for this State. The next table shows, by races or peoples, for the year ending June 30, 1907, the number of immigrant aliens admitted to the United States, the number destined for Massachusetts, and the percentage of the immigrant aliens admitted to the United States who were destined for Massachusetts. Hebrew, 9,027; Greek, 7,293; Irish, 6,896; Portuguese, 5,674; and English, 5,586. Without reference to the actual numbers of each destined for Massachusetts, it may be observed that 58.81 per cent of the Portuguese immigrant aliens admitted to the United States were destined for Massachusetts, and the corresponding percentages for races or peoples showing over 10 per cent so destined were Turkish, 29.97 per cent; Irish, 17.82 per cent; Greek, 15.76 per cent; Syrian, 15.65 per cent; Finnish, 15.30 per cent; Lithuanian, 15.09 per cent; Scotch, 12.20 per cent; and English 10.92 per cent. The proportion of each race destined for Massachusetts indicates that this State has particular attractions for the people just mentioned. The Syrians and Turks, while not sufficiently important numerically to be individually specified in Tables XXXVII and XXXVIII, yet indicate their preference for Massachusetts in large numbers. But of certain other races which come to the United States in large numbers comparatively few of each have declared Massachusetts to be their destination. Thus out of 60,071 Magyars admitted to the United States in 1907 only 104 were destined for Massachusetts; of 47,826 Croatians and Slovenians only 47; of 42,041 Slovaks, only 197; of 30,824 Japanese, only 56; of 27,174 Bulgarians, Servians, and Montenegrins, only 222; and of 24,081 Ruthenians (Russniak) only 564. For comparison with the foregoing, the following table arranged on a similar plan, for the five years 1903-07, has been compiled: Number of Immi Immi RACES OR PEOPLES. Destined for Massa chusetts, 1907 Admitted to the United States, 1907 RACES OR PEOPLES. English, 28,222 The Italians, with 19,351 persons declaring their destination to be Massachusetts in 1907, numerically outclassed all other nationalities, but this number represented only 6.58 per cent of the total number of Italian aliens admitted to the United States during that year. Following the Italians in order of importance as to the number of immigrant aliens destined for Massachusetts the leading races or peoples were as follows: Polish, 11,606; Italian, Irish, Polish, Hebrew, For the five-year period 1903-07, the order of the four leading races of persons destined for Massachusetts, numerically considered, was Italian, Irish, Polish, and Hebrew, while in 1907 the order was Italian, Polish, Hebrew, and Greek. Thus the Italians easily held first place for the five-year period as a whole and also in 1907; the Irish have fallen from second to fifth place being replaced by the Poles who advanced from third to second place; the Hebrews advanced from fourth to third place; and the Greeks advanced from eighth place for the period as a whole to fourth place for the year 1907. Comparing the number of immigrant aliens admitted to the United States with the numbers destined for Massachusetts by races, for the period 1903-07, we find that the 24,236 Portuguese destined for Massachusetts represented 63.77 per cent of the total number of Portuguese admitted to the United States; the 41,127 Irish represented 19.93 per cent of the total Irish; the 12,455 Finns represented 16.60 per cent of the total Finns; and the 17,937 Greeks represented 16.52 per cent of the total Greeks. For the Italians, Poles, and Hebrews, who ranked first, third, and fourth numerically, the percentages of numbers destined for Massachusetts of the numbers admitted to the United States were, respectively, only 6.49 per cent, 8.23 per cent, and 6.10 per cent. The following table shows by occupations the number of immigrant aliens admitted to the United States, the number destined for Massachusetts, and the corresponding percentages for the year ending June 30, 1907: EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS. 1. National Organizations. The organization of employers on a national scale for the purpose of dealing with the labor question followed somewhat tardily the extensive national organization of employees. As early as 1880 several national bodies of workingmen had developed no mean strength by pooling of interests and actively engaging in concerted endeavors to increase their wages and improve their working conditions. Realizing the working strength of the labor organizations at that time the employers began to consider the importance of themselves organizing in order to meet the demands of the organized workingmen, and the first national employers' association for this purpose of which we have record was organized in 1886. In an article published in Labor Bulletin No. 30, issued by the Bureau in March, 1904, considerable space was devoted to a historical and descriptive statement of the national associations of employers then in existence, and the article concluded with a list of 59 national associations of employers and citizens, 56 district and State associations, and 17 local Massachusetts associations. Since that time many new organizations of a similar nature have come into existence, and in several notable instances the functions of organizations already in existence have been extended to include a program of defence against trade union activities. But for two years or more prior to November, 1907, during which period the labor supply has been unequal to the unusual demand, employers have felt themselves, on account of their lack of organization, unable to meet the labor organizations on an equal footing. This condition has resulted in a more extensive organization of employers than ever before, and in carrying out a plan of extensive organization 19 national associations sent delegates to a convention held in New York City in August, 1907, when there was formed a federation of employers' associations which in effect constituted one cen tral body similar in organization and scope to the American Federation of Labor. The organizations represented at the meeting in New York were: National Association of Manufacturers, Citizens' Industrial Association of America, National Association of Agricultural Implements and Vehicle Manufacturers, National Founders' Association, Association of Employing Lithographers, Merchant Tailors' National Protective Association, National Wagon Manufacturers' Association, National Plough Association, National Erectors' Association, United Typotheta of America, National Association of Sheet Metal Work ers, Hardwood Manufacturers' Association of the United States, Master Copper Workers of the United States, National Association of Cotton Manufacturers, Carriage Builders' National Association. It has been stated that more than 75 per cent of the national associations of employers in the country responded to the call to form a federation. In establishing this federation of employers it was hoped by the leaders in the movement to secure harmonious action among the various national and State organizations of employers, merchants, and citizens in conducting an educational campaign "for the promotion of industrial peace and mutual good will," and it is claimed that "There is not the faintest shadow of truth in the report that the federation's money and influence are to be used to crush labor unions," but the purpose is "to defend [their] common interests as employers and public spirited citizens against assault from any quarter." |