New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-02
VIRGINIA,S RESOURCES.
EFFORTS TO DEVELOP HER RICHES.

EEEORIS ~ DEVELOP HEN hICIlrc'
ENDEAvORING TO ATTRACT IMMIGRANTS AND TO
INCREASE THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES OF THE
sTATE-THE MOVEMENT ONE AGAINST REPUDIA-
TIoN-PRICEs OF LAND AND LABOR.
The efforts of the State of Virginia to increase the
general knowledge of her resources and to attract
settlers to her territory have met with noteworthy
success since the Virginia immigration Society,"
which is under the auspices of the State, has been
represented at the North by its leading officers The
secretary of the society, Addison Borst. who has
lately come here, was found by TRIBUNE reporter
at the New-York Hotel. in which is the
New-York office. The home Office is at Fredercks-
burg.
An immigration bureau has been established at
Richmond with Richard Irby as manager. He has
a large amount OF printed matter containing in
formation as to the resources Of all parts of the
State mineral, manufacturing and agricultural.
which can be had application to him. The society
is composed OF leading men from all parts OF the
State and representatives of all the elements OF its
population will be found among them. The officers
are as follows: President, United States Senator
John W. Johnston Vice-Presidents. w. w. Corco-
ran, General Fitzhugh Lee, Colonel William Lamb )
Secretary. Addison BOrst General Joseph E john
ston and Senator WitheTs mombers of the Ad-
visory Board. Nr. Borst is a quiet, business-hke
man. courteous. and ready to impart the fullest III
formation.
"The particular mission Of this society" said Nr.
Borst dis first to develop the resources make avail
able the assets of Virginia. in order to pay onr
debts second, to induce persons from all sections
of this country and Europe to remove to Virginia,
and avail themselves OF the superior advantages
offered and third, to advise and protect them In
their efforts to settle Virginia For this purpose Sena-
tor WitheIs General FItzhugh Lee and others have
delivered addresses upon the of Virginia
III New-Yor and other States of the North, and Will
continue TO do so. Later, some of them will visit
Europe OIL the same mission. They have been con-
strained to do this work without the prospect Of fee
or reward but simply for the purpose of paving the
way To fair and equitable settlement of the State
debt and thus removing the greatest obstacle III the
way of her prosperity. Every officer of the society
who has actively engaged in this work has used his
own private means and given his services as q duty
inseparable from the position he occupies as public
man. Senator Johnston has been very active per-
sonaly and by correspondence In bringing the ques
ton to public notice.
1--WE have had large sales of coal aud iron prop
erty in various parts Of the State since the New
York office was established" continued Mr. Borst.
Several millions of dollars of New-York and Lon
don capital have been invested in this way, in man
ufacturing and in railroad enterprises to develop
the mineral and other resources of the State There
has also been an increased activity in the sale of
agricultural lands but the tendency has been In the
direction of mineral lands. We have farming lands
that can be sold at 30 to $15 acre. which, with
proper cultivation will yield from to - per cent
on the investment. In addition, the persons buying
on these terms may expect q very great enhance
ment of the value of the investment itself. Tue
motive for selling productive lands at such low hg-
ures is to be found i'll the tact that the majority OF
rfaNa lapn of
cultiya yated lands hence the burden of taxes does
not consist 80 much In the rate-which is only 80
cents on 3 100 of assessed value-as III the taxation
of unimprOved land which absorbs the income de-
rived from the improved portion People coming TO
Virginia can buy such tracts of land as they can
handle, if it IS only ten acres.
THE Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia
are better for coal. iron, etc. The Valley has re-
cuperaed than other parts of the State, as the
people were more sell renant ana were NOT so de-
pendent upon slave labor as they were in Eastern
I'm the matter of labor we have great advan-
tage over Western States. The general impression
that the manumitted slaves are worthless as labor
ers is not true. When they are well fed, paid
promptly. and judiclOus supervision is exercised
over them, they are as valuable as any labOrers in
the world. 1t will pay farmer to supervise them
personally, as the price of labor ranges from ~ 90
to 81 80 month for farm hands. with board Ihey
desire only plain substantial food, sound bacon anu
fish mOlasses and cOrnmeal. Where they find them
selves, the usual allowance OF meal Is one peck a
week-costing about 10 cents. In many cases the
la borer gets one-thrd of the crop as payment. In
the tide water tracts of Virginia, forty acres OF land
can be cultivated with one pair OF horses or mules,
with labor at the above rates. This area, with n
good season. will yield from fifty to twenty-five
bushels of to the acre, and tho cost of delivery
at market is a trtle III comparison with that
in other sections OF the country In the matter of
cheap transportation to the best markets of the
world claim to be preeminent We nave aDund-
ant resources but not capital to develop them. The
creditors of Virginia can exert their influence among
capitalists develop these resources to an unlim-
tied extent If they choose TO do but they must
deal with the people face to face to ascertain the
real condition of affairs and adapt their claims to
the iuexorable logic of facts. The majority OF the
people do not intend to repudiate-thev will 90 as
lar as their Vill allow, aud the sole limit
rests with the creditors aud their friends"
Mr. Borst gave interesting details OK Danufactur-
ING enterprises in various parts of the State, and
efforts now making to increase the sale of ts staples
II -. eacura rnaane ot navinp fine State debt