The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-12-19
[CoMMUNIcATED.

10 the Editor of TIE State journal.
As you take deep interest in emigra-
ton, and as the people are fully alive to its
| Importance, a few thoughts on the subject
may prove of general interest to your nu-
merous readers.
Some of the best minds have been en-
gagged in the effort to bring emigration into
this State, and yet it has proved failure.
for the simple reason that the existing state
of our labor and real estate are antagonis-
tic to emigration.
When doctor undertakes to cure his
patient, the first thing he does, he tries to
| ascertain what ails him so with the states
man in regard to the body polite. Let us
examine why our real estate, with its many
advantages is such q drug in the market.
In the first place, it has no fixed value,
which operates against the introduction of
capital for instance, farmer who has
thousand acres, wants to borrow limited
sum of money, intending to pledge his land
for its payment, he will be refused on the
plea, that should he fail to pay, the capital
ist will be unable to realize, and land they
do not want, having more now than proves
profitable this is one stumbling block.
Secondly--Men Of moderate means can
not buy our lands, for although our acres
are cheap, yet our farms are large, and the
owners poor, and, consequently, have to
sell on very short credit, and the men that
seek homes are men of very moderate
means; the third, and most important
drawback to successful immigration. is
the surplus labor we have. Wages are not
only very low, but labor is so abundant,
that the man of moderate means that buys
small farm cannot find remuneratiye en-
pioyment until he can make his farm pay.
Now, what we want to remedy these evils
is, for che State to create a Land Bureau and
become purchaser at once at certain
price, say, for instance, the State will buy
at one dollar per acre, (and [ think it can
buy millions at that price, this land to be
laid off into homesteads, of say sixty acres
each these homesteads. to be offered to
any one that binds himself to be an actual
occupant for at least five years, on credit
of ten years, with profits enough added to
make the bureau self-sustaning the first
ten per cent. Of the purchase money to be
paid in advance, so that, for instance, if
sixty acres come to ninety dollars, after all
expenses have been added, any one without
capital can secure home for the small
sum of So per annum. The immediate
advantages of this system are first, our
poorest lands will have a fixed value, and
any one can secure,capital on his lands at
least to the amonnt Of the fixed govern
ment price. Secondly, men of moderate
means can secure lands and develop their
resources, which are now burden to their
owners and lastly, the most important re-
suit of all is that the surplus labor will
find employment, and as soon as the work.
ing men and women of the world (the real
bone and sinew Of any country feel as
sured that they can find profitable en-
ployment to sustain themselves while
they are improving these homesteads, they
will flock here BY the thousands, while
many of the sturdy youths of our own ma
tive land will vie with them, who can make
his home bloom the brightest. I will not
encroach further on your valuable space at
present. If this should prove of interest to
your readers, it would afford me great
pleasure to continue this subject. | feel
deeply the necessity of developing the
many broad acres, that produce nothing at
present, but worthless pines and broom
sage. NJ. MARSHALL.