Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-12-13
tut UT
The Labor Question.
WILMINGTON, N, c., Dec.

To Douqqld Mcmillan, Esq,
President NJ H. Agricultural Socc,,.
DEAR SIR In treating the subject Of in.
Producing white labor into our country do
not propose to discuss the propriety or i'm
propriety of dividing our lands into small
sections, and selling or leasing it to them,
or of employing them as laborers for stipu.
lated compensation, annually OF monthly.
in money, or as joint laborers to receive
portion of the profits
! have great doubts of the proprietv Of
dividing our lands generally into small par
GELS, except SO far as those which are suitei
to, and required for, truck gardens, wineries
and fruit growing. But for the great staples
of our country, those forming the bass Of
its exports, cotton, sugar, rice, to he sue.
cessfully and economically producrd re-
quire large expenditures of money fox ma.
chinery and other preparations, which
small farms will not justify hence the
agricultural interests generally must suffer
considerably for the want of modern i'm.
proved machinery in it's conduct, the use
of which only can be protitably employed,
upon plantations and farms Oh a large
scale. This subject, however, will be con.
sidered hereafter upon the introduction Of
sufficient labor, which viii, perhaps, I've
time enough to determine its direction and
proper appropriation.
The deplorable condition to which tie
planting States are reduced, not only by
the ravages of war, but also by the in
dustrial paralysis in which they have been
held since their subsection, forces the NJ.
cessity of some powerful effort to supply
labor.
It will not do to sit quietly down and
wait for emigration to flow in upon us
It is not likely to do so, at least for long
time to come. How can we expect il.
when the fertile plains of the West ana
Northwest country invites them by cheap
and easy transportation from their landing
places in the Northern cities and rcmuAcl.
alive wages for their labor ? And further
more, is it likely that floating emigration
will seek q country whose political StinS Is
aOdetfned? [ think not. Therefore if w
would have our country settled by a class
of industrious, thrifty white citizens, who
will renovate our devastated farms, and
cause the waste places to blossom as the
FOSGJ WHO Will CbllSG Tic AuDl VI LlGClQtIt
in our factories and workshops to gladden.
our ears; who will work our Railroads rs
they never yet have been worked and Wiz
will serve as guards aud protectors of then.
Then we must arouse ourselves, and III
all the means at our command to invite
them by such inducements as Will make /.
to their interest to come and settle aplOl gyt
us.
But [ have said there was not only Z uL
hciency of labor but of capital in our cOul-
| try, and owing to our deplorablo condition,
neither will voluntarily come to our aid.
Our Railroads are all in successful Opcg
alton; they are obliged to employ IL lUrg.
number of laborers who are paid out Of
their earnings, and by judicious couccH
of action, any number Of emigrants could
be mployed that may be required to come
and work upon our Railroads, if they were
secured in the means of transpor-
! tation and employment and pay. To secure
the faithful performance OF their contracts,
it would only be necessary think to per
form our part of the contract hOnorabiy
and retain one half Of their weekly or
monthly pay until the completion OF tlr
contract. These laborers might be DOM
ciled upon the line of this road at short da
tances apart, to be convenient to Then
work, with garden, pig and poultry priv
leges, make them comfortable, and they
would be content. It would be their il.
terest to guard and protect your roads from
injury and your trains from incendiare5
if satisfied with their situation and the
country, they would very soon call in their
friends from Europe to cultivate our soil
and to fill up our factories and workshops.
This, sir, is the outline and starting point
of my plan of introducing emigrants into
our country, without entering upon dis.
cussion of the minor details of it. This
will engage the attention of those who may
be entrusted with the honor of framing and
executing the immediate plan.
| And I beg leave most respectfully, through
you, to call the attention of our railroM
managers to this Ito me) most important
subject, with the request that they will con-
slider it at their earliest convenience, inye'-
tigate it thoroughly. scrutinize it closely IL
all it's bearings, advantages and disadyaA-
tages for the presentand future, politically
civilly. religiously, socially, commercially
and agriculturally.
If it has merit, act upon it promptly, anu
if not, drop it.
Respectfully, H. NcTr'
NppTrT HAporrrA RATpoAn THE follow