The Russellville Democrat., 1875-05-20
IMMIGRATION.

L1c tue to ATkdIlSds we CcTtdlIly have country equally as attractive, and far less exposed to the dangers and hardships of frontier life. Our climate, our soil, water, timber--ev- erything--is just as good here as in Nebraska, Wyoming or Utah. Let our immigration bureau wake up.- Russellville Democrat.
 We would suggest to our ex cellent contemporary that our "lm- migration bureau" exists more in name than in fact. Under the new constitution there is no such office, the convention refusing to continue the office of commission CT of state lands with the addition
 land immigration" The act of the legislature of 1868 designates the office, however, as ''commis- sioner of immigration and state lands" None of the commission
 CTS ever did much in the direc
 tion of immigration. The legis-
 lature has invariably refused to appropriate any thing for that
 purpose. So that the office exist ed in name only as an appendage
 to the state land office. The pres
 ent land commissioner has done all in his power to forward the cause of immigration. Without one dime appropriated to the pur-
 pose he has made it a point to an swer all enquiries for informa
 tion and to distribute documents
 freely. He has urged the organi-
 zation of immigration societies in the different counties. The i'm
 poverished condition of the state
 is such that it can do little at
 present. Every postage stamp
 and every article of stationery
 used in the departments is pur-
 chashed and paid for by the sev- eral department officers, there not
 being a dime in the treasury to meet current expenses. Neither the clerks in the different depart ments, nor the officers, have re- ceived any pay for several months. In this condition of affairs, if any body is of the opinion that there is either profit or fun in running a state department, we would be glad to see him.
 Notwithstanding all these draw backs, however, much has been done toward inducing immigra- tion. Thousands of Henry's pamphlets have been distributed, together with the circular of the commissioner of state lands on the subject of the lands of the state, thousands of letters written, and four or five gentlemen have gone to neighboring states and to Europe, with the consent of the state officials, all in the cause of immigration. There is no money to pay for any of this service-yet it is being done. The commissioner of state lands has scattered broadcast over the state a circular in reference to the organization of immigration soci- cities, as has the land department of the Cairo and Fulton railroad. The people of the counties must work up the matter themselves, with such advice and assistance as can be rendered them by the state officials. The fact is, there l should be a regular bureau of immigration, and it should be the duty of the next legisla.lre to create one. If the press of the state will unite in demanding the passage of an act creating such a bureau, we are satisfied the legis- lature will do so. Shall it be | done?- Gazette.
 IT MUST BE DONE; our success and prosperity depends upon it. We knew that enough attention had not been paid to this matter; we thought the convention made q grave blunder when they refus- ed to continue the office of com ofimmigration; we have always thought our legislature was to be censured for their slug gish and nigardly disposition on this question; and we knew our state was losing by these blunders; but we have really never realized until now, how little has been lone in this important matter. Dur commissioner of state lands, Mr. J. N. Smithee, as the Gazette says, has done all he could. In act, he has done nobly, consider ng his restricted opportunities, md the people of Arkansas should eel under obligations to him for lis manly eXertions in this direc- ion. The press of the state, we Ire glad to observe, are also com ng nobly up to the work and are loing good service. The people
 re interested and all things seem o be ready. The harvest is 1, bundant, but the laborers are ' CIV. ltnow remains to see if our =