The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-06-09
IMMIGRATION.

4 Convention to encourage European
immigration to, and promote tine aSri-
cultural interests OF the State of Mary
land, met in Baltimore last week. We
learn from the Cumberland 1NCgani"n
that a report regretting the present de-
pressed condition of agricultural inter
ests, and urging that more general at
teLtion be paid to their revival and en-
enlargement was submitted. \ propo-
siton to ask legislative aid to the extent
OF $4,000 was voted down, and a re-
commentator adopted instead that So
cieties be formed in the counties, auxil-
iarv to the one now in existence in
Baltimore, for the purpose of inducing
Immigrants to settle in the State. The
following plan for county organizations
was suggested by Col. RAINE, and met
with marked approval by the Con
venton:
Each county shouldn't once designate
some person to prepare full statistics Of
its resources, the lands for sale, and
their price; the church, school, road,
and other facilities. Each county
should at once contribute-annuall y
a small sum Of money, say 500 In all;
of which one-haf should be used TOR
home agitation, end the other one-halt
for the dissemination OF information, so
much required to attract capital and
labor. My plan is to raise annually,
by private contributions, from the
twenty-five counties, and the city OF
Baltimore, each $500, making in all
Sll,5O0; one.halt Of this amount, that
is, $3.50, to be used in each county for
procuring all OF such information as
may be promotive OF our object; the
other one half to 60 to the Central
Society in Baltimore (of which the
President of each county organiza-
ton is memher,) to be used
for the dissemination Of such
facts as may bring the great
advantages Of settling in our State prac-
tically before the people OF Europe, and
our own country. If, 10y liberal contri-
buttons, the amount OF money could be
increased so as TO secure the sending Of
a good, trustworthy and intelligent
agent six months year to Europe, and
into the neighboring and more distant
States, am satisfied the result would
prove still more gratifying to all. Now,
il must be understood that, while we
propose to seek relief without the help
OF the State Treasury, while IT is our
purpose to carry out our projects by
bringing our own individual energies
into the field, that each OF us should at
once 90 to work, cause the county or
CARNATIONS to be perfected, and thus
give life to the project recommended.
Ny appeal is directed to all of you. No
one will help you unless YOU first help
yourselves.
1t seems tous that the plan suggested
above is sensible and practical and
might be adopted in West Virginia
with good effect Will not some one OF
those in each county who are deeply
interested in the cause Of immigration
take hold Of the matter at once, in &C,
cordance with the plan indicated? Let
the county organizations be effected
first and then a central society car
easily be formed as soon as it may be
needed. The people of the State must
first make some exertion to help for
ward the cause, or twenty years hence
will find West Virginia still as sparsely
populated as now. Immigrants do moi
come at haphazard; immigration does
not flow in upon State in defiance o.
its will; neither is il likely to search
out localities where present inhabitants
are too slothful to furnish information
concerning the advantages to be OBJ
tanned by residence there. This is an
age of sharp and active competition in
business, and in all that pertains to the
material interests of individuals o.
States. We have been plodding alonl
at a slow and lazy gait while eu'
neighbors have gone far ahead II