The daily gazette., 1883-02-05
STATE rMMIoRArIoN.


An Argument In Favor Of a Large Coln-
mission Instead of single Commits
siOner.
To THE EDITOR OF THE GA2ETTE The
subject of an immigration Commissioner or
Commission now agitating the people OF
Delaware is certainly on important ONE, and
Is thing that, If worth doing at all, should
be well done; and as our Governor has
recommended 1t, It certainly should receive
the thought of our Legislature Yet, the
idea that anything can be done that Will be
worth undertaking to do for a thousand or
two of dollars to induce the stream Of
foreign immigrants to direct their steps TO
Delaware soil to me looks ridiculous and
that a single person who may be
appointed commissioner for the
purpose, can digest and carry ont
to the satisfaction Of the people OF the
State, does to me look to be an impossibility.
may, in my ideas, be as far away as any OF
the plans that have been brought before the
public, yet would suggest that for such
an important matter commission, of say
Eve Of the best and most intelligent men In
each county be appointed for the purpose of
digesting some efficient and operative plan
by which our State may lie benefited In the
MATES of immigration. This plan would at
least have the merit of bringing more ideas
than could any one person for the accomp.
lishment of the object referred to In our
Governors inaugural. If the thing Is worth
doing at all 1t is worth doing well.
Need the people of the State be afraid of
commission of fifteen of the best men to be
selected, five from each county, say from
both political partiess For there should be
no politics In so worthy an object as the one
referred to. Let their travelling expenses be
1atd For tha of Innr tha
ings, and say per diem of $1.50 for each
days attendance. Are there not fifteen
men in the State who would devote the
amount of time required to perform the
duties of the commission for such COM
pensation2 1t strikes me there are. They
might, If necessary, for the purpose of car
rying out the condensed plans of the COM
mission, appoint one of their number, or
such other person as they, In con-
junction with the Governor, might
select. The idea that a commission
at 81 900 per year salary and contingent
of $500 more can do what Is required, looks
| to me like putting delicate, sickly child at
work with 35 pound sledge, breaking
rock All the strength and energy would
| be expended and nothing accomplished.
That it is good and noble thing for our
people to do ] have not a shadow of O
doubt, and for that reason is worth doing,
| and whatever is worth doing at all is worth
doing we'll. do hope our legislators In this
matter will consider well before they act
what will be the result of their action. Il
1t is only political scheme to make place
| for some person who is unable
| to make living al any useful
| employment, then we. had better
never take the first stepin the matter. Con.
sider well first, what is necessary to do tc
make it a success; strip it of everything of 9
partisan character and act with but one
object and that object to benefit the people
of Delaware. That immigrants are wanted
in our State none will deny. The question
then comes what is the best method of get
| ting them here 2 Can any one man sugges
| better method than the selection of tifteeI
of the best men of our State for that purpos
by our Governor | have entire confidence
in his ability, integrity and honesty of pur
pose TO select the proper men for members Q
a commission to carry into effective operation
the object sought, the filling of our Stat
with good class of immigrants that will
meet the requirements of our people. II
appoint single person at salary Of III ,O0
and half as much more as contingen
| would be just as likely to be successful Al
to put gallon of whiskey into White Clay
| Creek and then say to the people of Della
ware, tCome, drink and let US have a biz
drunk" The one would accomplish the OBJ
ject sought about as soon as the other, al
both would be wasted and nothing accom-
plished in either case. Respectfully,
l War DEAN