Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-16
Tho Louisville hmm

| the way OF thaJ purpose.
| The Louisville Immigration Scheme.
The organization. composed of the Com
missioners Of immigration of the South
ern States, which was effected at Louis
| willie last week, deserves all the encOur-
agement that can be given it. The end
| aimed at, as we have already stated, is to
| encourage foreign immigrants to seek
| homes in the South. To accomplish this
end, the first thing to be done is to induce
immigrants to enter the country by way
OF our Southern ports, instead OF by way
of New York. Immigrants who land at
| that port are pretty certain to so West.
All the influences there are in favor Of
the West. The Western States, and the
great railway lines leading to the West,
have their agents there who seize upon
| the immigrants as soon as they are fairly
| ashore and hurry them away to the West
before they have made up their minds
where they want to 20. 1t immigrants
landed ut Savannah or New Orleans they
would stay in the South. They would be
surrounded by Southern influences as
soon as they reached the shore. In order to
ports. however. several things are neces-
sary. There must be arrangements made
for receiving them, for furnishing them
with information about the country, and
for directing them where to go. as at New
York. Ii ship load of immigrants were
to land at Savannah they would be at loss
to know what to do with themselves.
All Of their small means would soon be
used up in hotels and boarding houses,
while they were debating where to go to
find cheap land and desirable location.
The same is true with regard to New Or
leans. There ought to be a place where
they could have good as we'll Us cheap
accommodations, while they were ar
ranging to locate in the interior. There
ought to be authorized agents to look
after them and see that they We're not
swindIed and robbed. The majority of
| immigrants are not only ignorant of our
| customs, but they are ignorant of our
| language, and are, therefore, easy victims
of sharpers. Immigrants for the South
ought to come by way of our Southern ports
because they would avoid long railway
journey in crowded and unhealthy cars,
and because it is cheaper. We need not
expect, however, to get foreign immi-
grants to any marked extent until we
make an effort, and there is no use max
ing an effort until we are prepared to re-
ceive them as they are received and cared
for at New York. The main purpose of
the organization that was effected at
Louisville is to make the preparations
that we have suggested as being neces-
sary, and to make the fact known when
the preparations are completed. Our
railway lines have not taken the interest
in immigration matters that they ought
to take. They are benefited by every new
farm that is opened and by every addi-
tiOnal acre of land that is put under cul-
tivation. Their business grows with the
growth of the country. and they ought,
therefore, to do what they can to promote
the scheme started at Louisville. The
advantages of the South are being more
extensively advertised now than ever be-
fore, and ii is every year becoming easier
to turn a portion of the foreign immi-
grants in this direction. The present APP
pears to be propitious for undertaking
work that has already been too long
neglected.