THE EMIGRATION RETURNS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5670, 2 June 1879, Page 3

THE EMIGRATION RETURNS.

(Erom the Glasgow Herald.)

More than the usual amount of interest attaches to the statistical tables of Emigration and Immigration for 1878, just issued by the Board of Trade. In face of the languishing state of our industries which prevailed during the whole of last year, it becomes important to watch carefully the returns under both of these heads. The natural tendency of a depressed labor market is to increase emigration, more especially when trade and commerce are prosperous in those places to which the stream of emigrants is usually directed. But though this increase undoubtedly did take place in 1878, it was not experienced to so large an extent as might have been expected. The tide of emigration, which was at its ebb in 1876 and 1877, has again begun to flow ; but that is all. There has been no great excess like that which marked previous periods, when a similar condition of things existed. The change, in fact, is so slight, that we must wait for another twelvemonths’ figures to solve the problem whether the variation is only such as may occur from year to year without any concurring incidents of a special nature. The total increase of emigrants over the previous year is only 27,692 —the numbers for 1878 being 117,663, and for 1877, 119,9/1. To make the comparison complete, however, it must be remembered that the figures in 1877 were the lowest in the decade. In 1876 the emigrants numbered 138,222 ; whilst in 1874 they reached 241,014, and in 1873, 310,612.

In fact, with the exception of 1377, the total for last year is one of the lowest since 1553, aud only slightly larger than the very low figure reached in 1870. Turning to the immigrants the same result is obtained. There has been a decrease, though by no means a remarkable one. Xu 1877 the total number of immigrants amounted to 81,843 ; in 1378 they were 77,951, showing a reduction of slightly under 4900. It -rill thus he seen that the net loss of the population through emigration may be stated as follows : Number of emigrants in 1373 -. .. 147,Git, ~ immigrants ~ .. .. 77,951 Excess of emigrants .. .. 09,712 When we come to consider the nationalities of the emigrants, it is interesting to observe that whilst the English are still far ahead of the others—the proportion being sixty-four per cent, of the total numbers—and wiiilst the Scotch are content with the modest percentage of ten, the decline of Irish emigration, which formed a h-adiug feature of the returns for 1876 and 1877, has ceased. But here again the increase is by no means out of proportion to the entire emigration of persons of British and Irish origin. As Mr. Giffen puts it, the difference of 1878 from its predecessors is that while in 1876 and 1877 the proportion of Irish emigration had fallen from a high percentage to twenty-four per cent, only or the total—that total being itself unprecedentedly small—it rose in 1873 to twenty-six per cent, of a total which is still small, but is larger than in 1876 or 1877- How small that total is will be seen from a glance at the following figures, showing the Irish emigration from 1801 : Annual average, persons. Year 1371 .. 71,333 Year 1875 .. 41.449 „ 1872 .. 72,703 „ 1876 .. 23,076 „ 1373 .. 53.C92 „ 1377 .. 22.831 ~ 1374 .. 00,490 „ 1878 .. 29,492 Some further light is thrown on these remarkable figures by the statistics recently issued of the emigration from Ireland, not to our colonies or to foreign countries alone, but to England and Scotland as well. Though not contained in Mr. Giffen’s report to the Secretary of the Board of Trade, they may very fitly be quoted as a valuable addition to his own statistics. They are to be found in the Registrar-General’s “ Observations on the Emigration Statistics of Ireland,” and they go to prove that for the twenty-four years previous to 1876 the number of persons, natives of Ireland, who emigrated from Ireland, averaged 90.000 a year. In 1876 the number fell to close on 37,000 ; in 1877 it was 38,000; whilst in 1878 it rose to 41,000. These figures fail, of course, to include the Irish who emigrated from English or Scotch ports, but they serve to confirm the facts brought out by Mr. Giffen that the great Irish “exodus” is at an end, and that the place in the statistics formerly occupied by the natives of the Green Isle is now taken by the English. In 1855, when the Irish percentage of the total emigrants was 61, the English only stood at 30 ; in 1878 the English represents the high percentage of 74, whilst the Irish percentage is only 26. An equally interesting portion of the Board of Trade returns has reference to the destination of emigrants. Daring the first half of the present century few emigrants looked beyond the limits of the United States or British North America, But the rapid development of our Australasian colonies opened up an extensive field for those in search of a new home. With the gold fever of 1852 emigration to Australia went up with a great bound ; and the numbers were increased in future years by the assistance and facilities held out by the Governments of these colonies. Even when emigration was at a low ebb, and the figures were diminishing everywhere else, the numbers for Australasia kept at a very steady average. It is not a little singular therefore that, with an increase in the emigration statistics, the attractions in America, which proved so fascinating in olden times, should again be asserting themselves. Last year more than half the net increase of emigrants of British and Irish origin went to the United States; whilst the emigration to British North America increased from 7720 to 10,652. This increase, so far as it concerns the United States, is shown more strikingly when the figures of the excess of emigrants only are looked at, a comparison of these proving that of the whole addition of 26,000, over 20.000 have gone to swell the population of our American cousins. The occupations of the emigrants in 1878 are as diversified as ever. General laborers head the list, as usual, with a total of 21,020 ; agricultural laborers furnish 6642, farmers 5320, mechanics 5061, carpenters aud joiners 1851, clerks and agents 1805, aud miners 1621 ; whilst amongst the units are found 9 milwrights, and an equal huraber of locksmiths. So far as can be ascertained, the money remitted by settlers in the United States, British North America, and Australia to their friends in the United Kingdom in 1878 amounted to close on £840,000. The information on this point, however, is necessarily defective, as there are no means of ascertaining the amount sent through private hands. But from what can be learned through the courtesy of banks and mercantile houses, it appears that since the year 1848 no less than twenty-two millions sterling has been sent to this country by the emigrants who have settled in our colonies and in the United States. On the whole, the statistics seem to be prepared with the greatest care and accuracy. One item of 12,349 gentlemen, professional men, aud merchants, amongst the detailed list of emigrants, is at first somewhat puzzling, until an explanation is obtained from Mr. Giffen’s complaint as to the incompleteness of the returns, in respect that they are to a large extent a record of passengers to and from places out of Europe. One effect of this is to interfere with the nicety of the calculations as to the balance of population. On the face of the returns there appears to be every reason to believe that this country has lost more population in 1878 on balance between the emigrants and immigrants than it did in 1876 and 1877 ; but Mr. Giffen considers it probable that the change would be found to be very slight indeed if any exact data existed for estimating the number of passengers who moved to and from Europe. That, however, is a question which cannot be settled until the figures of the next census are before us ; and in the meantime we must be content to accept Mr. Giffen’a statistics and the results that may be drawn from them as they stand.