50
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM
people came from Europe, their home countries paying
the expenses of their shipment in order to rid them
selves of the burden of their support, our present regu
lations excluding those who are liable to become a
public charge have practically stopt the immigration
of this undesirable class. The Immigration Commis
sion, with the assistance of the Associated Charities in
forty-three cities, including practically all the large
immigrant centers excepting New York, reached the
conclusion that only a very small percentage of the
immigrants now arriving applied for relief.
In this statistical investigation,* covering 31,374
cases actually receiving assistance and reporting cause,
it was found that 28.7 per cent, had applied for as
sistance because of the death or disability of the bread
winner of the family; 18.9 per cent, on account of the
death or disability of another member of the family;
59 per cent, from lack of employment or insufficient
earnings; 18.7 per cent, on account of neglect or bad
habits of the bread-winner; 6.2 per cent, on account
of old age; and 10 per cent, from other causes.
It will be noted that because more than one reason
was given in some cases, this total amounts to more
than 100 per cent., but the relative proportions of the
cases under the different classes is probably substan
tially accurate. If we attempt to discriminate among
the different races, it appears that it is among the
immigrants of the earlier period or those coming from
Northern Europe that we find apparently the largest
number of cases of neglect or bad habits of the bread
winner. For example, among the South Italians, only
8.7 per cent, give this cause, whereas the Irish give
20.9 per cent., the English 14 per cent., the German
* Reports of Immigration Commission, Vol. 1.