Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1942, Síða 43

FINNISH EMIGRATION
33
matter for a small country; further, all this was reflected in the
neglected farms, the poverty of the families left behind, and the
consequent increase in Poor Law expenditure. But then came im-
provement in the shape of remittances from America, which
meant better conditions for the relatives and the farms as well
as increased deposits in the savings banks.
In course of time the causes of emigration were better under-
stood, and even the loss of population now appeared to be only
relative, for marriages increased there and also the number of
children. Moreover, the loss of labour did not affect our economic
life as greatly as had been feared, for the modernization and
mechanization of agriculture had lessened the demand for
workers, and without emigration there might even have been un-
employment.
Mention has already been made of the value of Finnish emi-
gration from a shipping point of view. It has been estimated that
the “Suomen Höyrylaiva Osakeyhtiö” (the Finnish Steamship
Company) has conveyed about 450,000 emigrants to England
or back, corresponding to a money value of 600 or 700 million
marks, while those travelling via Sweden or Germany have also
left some of the money they spent on the journey in the home
country.
The remittances to their families by our countrymen over-
seas referred to above, have amounted in the maximum years to
over 200 million marks, and total altogether about 6 milliard
(American: 6 billion) marks; whether these amounts are regarded
as interest on or amortization of the capital represented by the
emigrants, they have certainly considerably compensated for their
loss, and formed part of the national income.
During the Winter War of 1939—40 the material voluntary
assistance received from Finnish Americans both in money and
goods was enormous.
When normal conditions are restored it may be expected
that the various advantages we derive from our emigrants, and
their practical importance for Finland, will make themselves felt
once more.
It may be thought that as emigration has been such an im-
portant question for us, as for so many other countries, it ought
to have received attention, both official and private, as early as
possible, so that we might have derived practical benefit from
it. Yet obviously this could not be done either under the Russian
Le Nord, 1942, 1