The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-17
For the Farmef aud Mechanic
North Carolina to tho tssnt!--0ur
oppovtunIsy!--AoW will our
LEGISLATURE Regard lt7

North Carolina to the tsent!--OuT
oppovtun Isy!--Aow will our
Legislature Regard IT.
see by the papers that our Legisla,
ture has gone vigorously TO york l
know much Of the personel OF the body
| and am gratified to see that 50 many
young men are in it. We hope for much
1t their hands. The people will be dis.
appointed, if the legislation ofthis General
| Assembly is not characterized by an intel
ligent progressivcness. And | ask for a
small space in your valuable Journal to
submit a few thoughts for the ~csnsldera-
| ton of our Representatives The files OF
the Farn,er and Mechanic land indeed Of
! nearly all the papers Of the State the
speeches of our public meu, and volumes
| of articles from our promiscuous writers,
| the messages of our Governors, the re
nc rts of our Department OF Agriculture,
the every day talk of thousands and
| thousands of our more thoughtful people,
| show a most remarkable uranimity on
one great subject, to-wit-: IMMIGRATION.
II has been discussed in all It's phases Tor
fifteen years. And yet, what has been
accomplished
Notwithstanding all this parade of in
terest in this matter. and the tact that
We have in our State millions OF acres OF
land that can be bought readily and at
cheap rates, what do we see? Why, we
see more people leaving the State than
comes into it. We see Texas, Georgia,
tennessee and other Southern States hli
ing rapidly with immigrants. We see at
! prominent points along our Railways at
~tractive signs, Cheap En.gra"t f'ckets :
"Greatiy reduced rates to Em,gr ats etc.
These should be removed. and substitute
for them something like this. cheap
Homes for Immigrants,' 'S"te I8.m.-
grafton agency for supplying settlers "'h
homes" l have not seen the ia { Census
Report, but | venture to asert that North
Carolina with l9. O0O, 900 acres 4 unoccu-
pied land, and with her | 400 UoJ popu-
lation has no within her borders 4 900
foreign born citizens
What is to be done? Do simply what
| other States do. Dew e a practical sys
| TEN for inducing immigration. aud back
it I'D with an adequate Appropriation.
and push the ,cork. Put the work In
| charge of a thoroughly competent man.
| read with much interest our article
of last week on this subject, and agree
with YOU in the opinion that $IO, 600 ju-
diciously expended in the interest OF
immigration would be worth a million
! dollars to our State. l was also pleased
to see Governor Jarvis urging the matter
in his message. | nave watched with In
| terest every step taken to advance this
matter for years and have given much
thought to it. | have eudeavored to
! keep myself informed as to the working OF
our Agricultural Department, since it Wa
first established. Regarding it as one o.
the most important Departments Of our
government, | had hoped to see some
| Developments in this direction. But
| whatever may be the ability Of the Com
| missioner, he cannot do much in ii il
work, if he gives it only that time and
attention allowed by a proper discharge
Of his other duties. True. if remember
the provisions of the Act correctly. the
Board is amply equipped with power and
machinery to do the work, and in my
Judgment it could and should be done by
the Department. But if the Department
will not do it, the Legislation should make
provision to place It in the hands OF All
agency whose special Office it shall be t.
secure immigrants for our State, ever il
| said agency is to be under the supervi.
sion of the Department.
We may talk and write TIL dooms-day,
about our magnificent resources" our
genial climat " our law abiding PEG
pie" and all that, but westward the tide
of immigration will continue to flow, un-
I'll we adopt a tangible, practical energetic
system of advertising u State.
notice a paragraph also in your last
issue, stating that a large Furniture Fac
tory, had sent IN agent to the Piedmont
! belt of the Carolinas and Georgia with
| instructions to purchase loo, 600 acres of
timbered land before he returned, | see
such items constantly in the Farmer and
Mechanic and other State papers. When
these men come to our Stale to whom
must they apply? The land is here and
for sale, but how are they to find it? The
owners are anxious to sell, but how are
they to make it known? Let the Leg
~islature or the Department Of Agricul-
ture appoint an agency and give it ten
thousand dollars. Let that agency 90 at
once to work, and organize such plans
as will supply our people with fac ilities
for putting their surplus lands on the
market, and for advertising in the most
State. If every dollar of that amount
were expended in making an exhibit of
our resources at the Boston Exposition,
it would richly repay the State. Kansas.
Colorado and Nebraska, each eXpend
annually ten times that amount, and
find it a splendid investment.
We shall watch the columns of the
F. & NJ. and other Raleigh papers, for
some action by the Legislature on this
very important matter.
l do not now when my subscription
expires, but credit me with the enclosed
81, and continues to send me your pa
per. NORTH CAROLINA.