THE TREND OF MIGRATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1171, 13 November 1913, Page 4

THE TREND OF MIGRATION.

Recently published statistics show that vvliile British immigrants are increasingly seeking British countries iu preference to the United States, so long the irresistible Eldorado, other nations are making foi the Great Republic, or its neighbours in the southern continent. Official figures just issued show that during the year ended on June 30th last the United Stales received 1,197,892 immigrants, a total which has only been exceeded once —iu 1906-7, when the number was over a million and a quarter. Concurrently the number of departures from the country was lower than usual, which ob viously means that the population has been substantially reinforced. As to the details ol the influx, it is found that more Slavs lauded in the United States than in any previous year, the total being 398,968, of whom 174,365 were. Poles. There were also 231,613 Southern Italians, and more Armenians, Dutch Flemish, Portu guese, and Syrians than ever before. Argentina, on the other hand, had 323,400 immigrants in 1912, of whom 165,622 were Spaniards, 80,580 Italians, 21,000 Russians, 19,792 Turks, and only 1,316 British and 499 Americans. It stands to reason that much of this immigration must be what, under reasonably strict standards, would be considered undesirable, notwithstanding the precautions now taken in the United States. On the other hand the latest returns show that the Australian population was never more strongly British iu character. No fewer than 82.9 per cent, of the people of the Commonwealth are Australian born, most of them of British parents, while of the remainder over 13 per cent, came from the United Kingdom, leaving less than 5 per cent- from Europe and other countries.