32. ITALIAN EMIGRATION. The re markable development of Italian emigration gives an altogether general interest to this sketch. Even outside of Italy there is an ample statistical bibliography in regard to Italian emi gration, but the most valuable works are those of Senator Luigi Bodio, who for many years was Director-General of the government statis tics, and there are also very Interesting articles concerning emigration published in the Bulletin de /Institut international de Statistique, of which institute Professor Bodio was general secretary from its inception (1885) to 1906.
Worthy of record are, among others, the works of Nitti, Villari, Bosco, Tammeo, Adolfo Rossi, and in general the Bollettino della Emigrazione, published by the Commissioner of Emigration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Italy in the 19th century had a remarkably large emigration only after it became an in dependent kingdom. She had, it is true, the political exodus of 1815, 1821 and 1831; but those people did not leave any traces worthy of mention, except that among a great number of emigrants who were recruited to fight for the liberation of Italy there were scientists and geniuses of the highest rank who exalted the Italian name and made it honored in foreign lands.
Altogether in the 30 years from 1876-1905. of which we have the figures given by official statistics, 8,029,353 persons emigrated; and of that number more than 4,000,000 went to trans oceanic countries within 30 years. And thesk. figures may be taken to be lower than the fact. owing to the inevitable inaccuracies in statistical investigations. If the calculation had been made regarding permanent emigration and temporary emigration, the latter would have shown somewhat larger than those given by the emi gration to Europe and the Mediterranean states; and, on the other hand, somewhat smaller for permanent emigration than those given for trans-oceanic emigration. In the five years, 1901-05, the emigration, taken altogether, exceeded that of all other periods, even the 10 year periods, of the 30 years; and the figures for trans-oceanic countries are almost double those of the preceding five years, 1896-1900.
A cursory glance given to the distribution of emigrants from the various regions of Italy shows us that temporary emigration is greatest in those northern regions of Italy nearest the confines of the country; and hence emigration in those parts holds the same place that migra tion from one portion of the country to another held in the other regions. The permanent emi
gration, on the other hand, prevails in the south of Italy, and especially in Abruzzi, Basili cata and Calabria, which are, economically con sidered, the least progressive regions. In Li guria, which has had an industrial revival within the last few years, the emigration is very small.
Among the regions which show a great in crease in emigration are: the Marches, which, in 1905, out of a population of 100,000, had 1,934 trans-oceanic emigrants; Calabria, which had 4,335 emigrants; Latium, 1,020; Abruzzi, 3,526; Sicily, 2,640, etc.
And taking the individual provinces in the various regions we find that in 1905 the trans oceanic emigration was greater in the provinces of Caserta, Palermo, Cosenza, Catanzaro, Mes sins, Reggio-Calabria, Avellino, Salerno, Chieti and Potenza.
As for the emigration to Europe and the Mediterranean countries, Venetia takes the lead of all other regions with 2,965 out of each 100,000 inhabitants; Emilia follows with 1,140; Piedmont with 1,105; Umbria with 1,073; Lom bardy with 1,030; the Marches with 988; and Tuscany with 800 emigrants. The smallest quota was given by Calabria, with 108 emigrants. The emigration for Europe and the Medi terranean countries (an especially temporary emigration) takes place more particularly from the northern and central provinces, as already said.
Male emigrants predominate and the adults are in excess of the children. These two char acteristics are common to the emigrants from other countries. In the first three years, 1903-05, 83 out of 100 emigrants were males and 17 per cent women; and of the total number of emi grants about 11 per cent were not above 15 years old. The great predominance of males has noteworthy demographic consequences, both in the country from which they emigrate and in the country whither they are bound.