TABLE 4.-Number of oversea immigrants to the Argentine Republic, by age and sex, with or without their families, 1903 to 1908, inclusive-Continued.

The table which follows shows the occupations of immigrants to Argentina from 1901 to 1908, inclusive:

TABLE 5.-Oversea immigration to Argentina, 1901 to 1908, inclusive, by

occupation.

[Compiled from reports of the minister of agriculture, Argentina; the Boletino Nacional de Trabajo, and data furnished by the Bureau of American Republics.]

TABLE 5.-Oversea immigration to Argentina, 1901 to 1908, inclusive, by occupation-Continued.

As in the case of the United States and other large immigrantreceiving nations, a considerable part of the immigration movement to Argentina is temporary. This fact is illustrated by the following table, which shows immigration to and emigration from the Republic from 1871 to 1908, inclusive:

TABLE 6.-Immigration to and emigration from the Argentine Republic, 1871 to 1908, inclusive.

[Figures compiled from reports of Year Book of City of Buenos Aires.]

Complete data relative to the nationality of persons emigrating from Argentina are not available, but official Italian statistics show that the return movement from the Plata to Italy from 1887 to 1903, inclusive, was as follows:

The Plata includes Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, but the two former countries contribute so small a proportion of the total that the figures do not greatly exaggerate the number returning from Argentina:

TABLE 7.-Number of Italians who returned to Italy from the Plata, 1887 to 1903, inclusive.

The immigration and colonization law of the Argentine Republic which was enacted in 1876 provides for the encouragement of immigration through agents in Europe and America, and makes liberal provision for the reception, care, and maintenance of immigrants. It provides for a central bureau of immigration and commissions of immigration at the capital of each Province, at certain ports of arrival, and, if necessary, at any other place. The law also provides for the establishment of employment bureaus, which, under the direction of the bureau of immigration or the local commissions, shall assist immigrants to find work and act as their advisors in other

matters.

Some of the principal sections of the law relating directly to immigrants and the methods of handling and assisting them are presented herewith.

Chapter 5, on immigrants, is as follows:

SEC. 12. Foreigners of both sexes, of good moral character and under the age of sixty years, whether day laborers, or capable of exercising a trade, or of working in an industrial establishment, farmers, or teachers, who come to the Republic for the purpose of settling on its soil, and have arrived either on board a sailing vessel or a steamer as a second or third class passenger, or have had their passage paid by the nation, by some one of the provinces, or by some private colonization board or association, shall be, for all the purposes of the present law, deemed to be immigrants.

SEC. 13. Those, however, who may be unwilling, for reasons of their own, to be considered as such immigrants, even if they shall have all the qualifications required by the preceding section, shall be permitted to set forth their wishes, either before starting in their voyage, by representing to the captain or master of the vessel, who shall be bound to make a record of it in his books, that they waive all their rights and privileges as immigrants, or after their arrival in the Argentine Republic by making a declaration to the same effect before the proper authorities. In both cases said passengers shall be deemed to be ordinary travelers.

This provision, nevertheless, shall not be applicable to those persons coming to the Republic, under proper contracts, to settle on its territory, whether in any colony or elsewhere.

SEC. 14. Every immigrant who gives sufficient evidence of his good moral character and shows his aptitude to engage in any industrial business, or in any trade or useful occupation, shall be entitled, upon his arrival in the country, to the following:

First. To be lodged and supported at the expense of the nation for the time set forth in sections 45, 46, and 47 of the present law (five days, to be counted from the date of landing, if the immigrant is in good health, and in case of illness which prevents his removal at the expiration of five days, as many days as the illness may last. But immigrants under contract shall have board and lodging gratuitously until sent to their destination).

Second. To be given occupation in any such branch of labor or industry existing in the country as he may wish to engage in.

Third. To be carried at the expense of the nation, to any place of the Republic in which he may wish to establish his domicile.

Fourth. To be allowed to introduce, free from duty, his wearing apparel, household furniture, agricultural implements, tools, instruments of his particular trade or art, and a fowling piece for each adult immigrant up to the amount fixed by the executive.

SEC. 15. The foregoing provisions shall be applicable, as far as possible, to the wives and children of the immigrants.

SEC. 16. The good moral conduct and industrial ability of the immigrant may be proved by certificates issued either by the Argentine consul or immigration agent at the place from which the immigrant comes, or by the local authorities of the same place. In the latter case the certificates must be authenticated either by the consul or the immigration agent.

SEC. 17. All immigrants, farmers, who come under contracts to settle on any of the colonies established in the Republic, and engage therein in agricultural pursuits, or who in the absence of such contracts are willing to go to the said colonies for the same purposes, shall be given the same special privileges and advantages in regard to the payment of passages, concessions of land, facilities for the cultivation of the lands, etc., as are granted under Chapter III, part second, of the present law.

Chapter 6 contains provisions calculated to insure the safety and comfort of the immigrants and to prevent abuses on the part of masters or captains of the ships.

Chapter 7 provides for national supervision of the landing of immigrants.

Chapter 8 is concerned with the lodging and board of immigrants, and provides as follows:

SEC. 45. The immigrants shall be entitled to proper decent boarding and lodging at the expense of the nation during the five days immediately following their landing.

SEC. 46. In case of grave disease, which rendered it impossible for the immigrant, at the expiration of the said five days, to move from that place, he shall be allowed to remain there, and the Government shall continue to attend to his lodging and support until he recovers.

SEC. 47. The foregoing provisions shall not be applicable to such immigrants as come to the country under contracts made and entered into between them and the nation to settle in the colonies, said immigrants being entitled to gratuitous boarding and lodging until they are sent to their places of destination. Chapter 9 deals with securing occupation for immigrants and their transportation to the localities where they are to settle.

SEC. 51. Whenever an immigrant expresses his wish to reside in any province or colony of the Republic he shall immediately be transported free, together with his family and baggage, to the locality selected by him.

SEC. 52. If he has chosen to reside in any of the provinces, he shall be supported by the respective commissions of immigration until reaching the place of destination during 10 days. At the expiration of this time each person over

8 years shall pay half a dollar a day and each child under that age 25 cents, but in cases of grave sickness the State shall continue to pay as long as it lasts. SEC. 53. If the immigrant has chosen to go to a colony, he shall be granted all the advantages to which colonists are entitled under the present law.

Chapter 10 provides for the creation of an "immigrant fund" consisting, first, of all moneys appropriated by Congress to encourage immigration; second, of all moneys collected through the office of lands and colonies; third, of all fines imposed for violations of the immigration law; fourth, of all moneys the immigrants themselves may pay under the provisions of this law.

LAW REGULATING COLONIZATION.

The second section of the law, containing seven chapters, is devoted to the subject of colonization.

Chapter 3 provides that in the establishment of colonies the first 100 colonists who are farmers and the heads of families shall be given gratuitously 100 hectares of land, or about 247 acres. The remaining rural lots shall be sold at the rate of $2 a hectare, to be paid in 10 installments, the first not payable until the end of the second year.

The sales may be limited to the fourth of one lot, and can never exceed four lots to one purchaser.

The office of lands and colonies shall advance the money necessary for the payment of the passage of the colonists from the place of embarkation to destination, also for their lodging, support, the animals which they may require for breeding or working purposes, as well as seeds and implements, all of this for one year at least. But the sums so advanced shall never exceed $1,000 per colonist, and shall be repaid to the Government in five installments, the first of which shall not be due until after the expiration of the third year.

The law further provides that lands may be reserved for private colonization companies; it being required that at least 40 agricultural families shall be brought in and settled upon the land within two years.

Each one of these families shall be the owner, either through donation or purchase, of at least 50 hectares of land, and are to be provided with proper lodgings, implements of labor, animals for working and breeding purposes, seeds, and board for at least one year, the actual value of which shall be paid back by them, with 20 per cent additional and interest at 10 per cent per annum, in easy installments, after the third year.

Chapter 5 empowers the executive by all possible means to encourage the development of agriculture, and make gratuitous concessions of lands to those colonists who have distinguished themselves by their steady work and exceptional industry. But no more than two lots shall be granted in this way to the same person.

Each colonist shall be entitled, within the first six years of his establishment in the country, to a reward of $10 for each 1,000 trees 2 years old which he has planted and has growing on his property. The national colonies shall be exempt from direct taxation of all kinds during the first 10 years of their existence as colonies.

The agricultural implements, seeds, tools, furniture, and arms imported for the use of immigrants shall be introduced into the colonies free from duty.