New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-31
Agriculture and IlnmiRratiop,

EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:
| We believe that under this heading there
| should be established by the Legislature 9
| bureau with full and ample powers. This
bureau should not only be interested IN i'm
| migration, but also in agriculture. If Ou1
| and at no distant day, it must be principally
| through immigrati ton and agriculture
Therefore, we think, that all money, labor
| and time spent in advancing and assisting
agriculture and immigration, are spent in
| the true interests Of the State and its citi
zeDs. We should organize O. bureau to be
| called the Bureau of Agriculture and I'm
migration" The head or chief of this bu.
reau should be appointed by the people;
that lie, elected for four years, on the gen.
eral ticket. He should have the necessary
clerical assistance, and one travelling agent
for the State. He should collect and pub.
lish monthly the crop statistics Of the State,
and the general condition and improvement
Of lands and levees. He should perform
the duty now performed at the State Land
Office.
The State assists railroad companies to
build railroads; why not assist actual set.
tiers and improvers of the public lands!
Let the State become surety, through the
bureau, for certain limited amount each
year, to assist and furnish certain number
Of actual settlers. Let the amounts ad-
vanced act as lien on all improvements
made by the settler, who is granted five
years time to pay with interest the
amount advanced, and let the advance be
made by the bureau in quarterly install.
ments to meet the real wants Of the settler,
to be determined by the chief OF the bureau
and his travelling agent; but the whole
amount of assistance to be rendered BY the
State should be given within the first nine
months or three-quarters of the first year.
The bureau should act as the agent of those
parties till the amount advanced is paid
back to the State.
Five hundred dollars would be consider
able help to each actual settler to be-
gin with, which he could pay back in in
stallments Of 500 each year after the
eale of his principal crop. Let the bu-
reau have its agents for collections in all
principal business towns or cities, through
whom it can collect it's annual installments;
or it could be done, probably, as well and
with less expense by the travelling agent,
who should be bonded officer. Suppose
the State in this manner established the
first year, on its lands, 500 families, its
surety or responsibility would only be
So, 600. Suppose, then, that each of these
families made profit Of 5000, which is
small estimate, there would be thus added
to the interest and prosperity Of the State
500 900. Besides, they would have homes
and the means of adding yearly to the pros
perity of themselves. the State and their
fel!ow-citizens.
AS fast as the FIRST quarter or installment
of the $4,000 is paid the same amount of
surety, that is 5000, could 6e extended to
other persons desiring to settle on the pub
lie lands, and SO on with other installments,
thus keeping, we will cay for twenty years,
or such times as might be designated by
the act, the use of 81, 900 to aid and assist
actual settlers on the public domain. This
is of course but brief synopsis or analysis
OF what the act itself would contain, and
what the operations Of the bureau would be
if established. 1t may be that you will
think the matter worth discussion, and
thus give this place in your paper.
p p G.