in America, tho it is difficult to ascertain how widespread this influence is. Such work is often done in secret, according to the United States Commission. A good authority stated that two of the leading steamship lines had 5,000 or 6,000 ticket agents in Galicia alone, that there is "a great hunt" for emigrants, and that the work is very successful there. The steerage business is of great importance to all the lines operating passenger ships between those countries and the United States, and the keen competition stimulates greatly their efforts.

The chief field of activity of these "secret" agents is now in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. In Russia such agents not merely procure tickets for emigrants, but take an active part in securing passports or in enabling them to leave the country contrary to law.

In Hungary the members of the Immigration Commission were shown letters written by such agents to persons instructing them how to leave the country without the consent of the Government and indicating routes to be followed by which they might avoid the control stations. Records were seen of hundreds of cases of these secret agents who had been convicted, fined or imprisoned for thus soliciting emigration contrary to law. In Greece, likewise, emigration is very active, tho in this country, which now is furnishing more emigrants to the United States in proportion to its population than any other, solicitation is not so much needed as the people seem eager to seek the better conditions here, and are adding a considerable percentage to our foreign element.

ASSISTED EMIGRATION

In earlier days, as elsewhere noted, some European countries assisted their paupers or criminals to emigrate to the United States. There is no such movement now, tho doubtless local officials at times wink at the departure of some people of these classes—especially criminals or those with criminal tendencies. Such action is contrary to law, and the people would be promptly debarred, if discovered.

Canada and some of the South American countries are ready to receive certain selected immigrants who are assisted to come, and Canada pays a bonus to thousands of ticket agents for directing emigrants to Canada to go upon farms or into domestic service, but no such movement is permitted by the United States. It may be noted, however, that persons are allowed to engage abroad domestic servants for their own families.

Besides the influence brought directly to bear in Europe, an indirect influence is also exerted by the immigrant banks, ticket agencies and other similar enterprises conducted mainly by immigrants for immigrants in the United States. It is the chief business of these institutions to exchange money, send money abroad, sell steamship tickets, and do other kinds of business that directly appeal to the immigrant. Naturally, the business flourishes better the larger the savings of the immigrant and the more frequently he is ready to send such savings home. Moreover, the longer these institutions can keep the immigrant from becoming an American citizen, and can keep him continually sending his profits home, the more successful the business is. Their work is constant and influential.

III

CHARACTERISTICS OF IMMIGRANTS WHICH
AFFECT AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS

Political and Social Institutions Molded by Conditions

Nations desire naturally to preserve their own institutions, or gradually to modify them from time to time as they themselves see fit. Each country has institutions suited to its own population and its own needs. There is no absolutely best form of government or of social life. The presumption is that the government existing in any country is itself the product, to a considerable degree, of the circumstances under which that country has developed and, in consequence, that it is for the time being not merely the government "that the people deserve" but the only government that under the circumstances is then possible. Of course, it is to be expected that as time goes on governmental and social institutions will gradually change with the changing circumstances, but the instinct that any people has to retain its own institutions is not only normal, but it probably in the long run tends toward the best development of a people.

Character and Extent of Immigration May Seriously Affect American Institutions

In consequence of this fact, while a country may well derive great benefit from the ideas of government and of society brought into it by immigrants, it can usually make wise use of these principles only gradu

ally, as the immigrants themselves become assimilated with the older population; and the process of change must be a gradual one. The imposing of new institutions from outside by a horde of new immigrants could hardly fail to be detrimental, however good such institutions might have been in the home country. Any student of immigration into a country therefore needs to consider carefully not only the extent of the new immigration, but also the character of the immiง grants themselves, and the effect that they have upon a country's institutions.

Countries of Origin and Character of the Early and Late Immigration

A study of the immigration into the United States, from the time that our immigration records begin in 1819 to date, shows, as already pointed out, a change in the character of the immigration as well as in its extent. During the last twenty-five to thirty years so marked is the change in the type of immigrants that it is convenient to classify our immigration as the old, that is, the immigrants coming before 1883, and the new, namely, those coming since that date. The former class includes primarily immigrants from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. These countries furnished some 95 per cent. of the total number of immigrants coming into this country before 1883. From 1883 to 1907, 81 per cent. of the total number of European immigrants came from Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Russia,

Servia, Spain, Syria and Turkey. The brief table of the years 1882 and 1907 puts the matter tersely.

TOTAL EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION (INCLUDING SYRIANS) TO THE UNITED STATES

In years specified by class of immigrants.

The change in the character of the immigration is especially marked by the fact that during the last few years more immigrants have come from any one of the three countries of Austria-Hungary, Italy or Russia than from all of the North European countries. taken together that formerly furnished the bulk of European immigrants.

Certain marked characteristics of the immigrants also emphasize strongly the fact that the new immigration differs much more radically in type from the earlier American residents than did the old immigration, and that in consequence the problem of assimilation has become much more difficult, even tho the numbers had remained the same, while the very great actual growth in the number of the immigrants has vastly increased this difficulty, the significance of which should be borne in mind. The complexities of this problem require most careful consideration, and steadily magnify its importance.