Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-02-13
IMMIGRATION.
THE LEGISLATURE ASKED TO AID
THE IMMIGRATION SOCIETIES.
Interesting Meeting Before the Sem
ate COmmittee-Our Wonder
full Resources, Etc.

met in the Senate chamber at o'clock last
evening, and was called to order by the
Chairman, Senator Langford. By invita-
ton, the officers of the immigration Asso-
citation of Northern California and several
County Boards were present.
n. d. Rideout, President of the Immi-
grafton Association of Northern California,
addressed the committee. He said some
years since citizens of this State became
convinced that it was necessary for her de-
velopment and prosperity to encourage i'm
migration. For that purpose State 1mmi-
grafton Society was formed, supported by
private means, with headquarters at San
Francisco. The northern counties, notably
Sacramento, assisted materially. After
wards it was deemed advisable to do more
for the northern portion of the State, hence
the organization of the association of which
he was President. This association had been
busily at work for the past several months
collecting facts, figures and data regarding
this particular section; the same was now
in the hands OF the printer, and would soon
be ready for distribution. He said the re-
suit of their efforts would be an increase of
the taxable property of the entire State.
Many of the older States in the Union had
Immigration Bureaus they worked well,
were of immense value to them, and some
thing of that kind is needed III California.
This is an agriculture State; it needs set
tiers, and should have State aid.
Dr. Latham, Secretary of the lmmlgra-
ton Society of Northern California, said it
was hardly worth while for him to enlarge
10 I'd 4 TO no
derived from immigration. The growth
| and wealth of all our States depends upon
their immigration. California in size is
larger than all OF the New England States
and few of the Middle thrown in. Her
resources have no parallel. The same area
in the Eastern States supports a popula-
ton Of 100000, while California is only
sparsely settled If our State was properly
developed it could easily support 100000
people No State in the Union has such
resources and climate. To give one an
idea of the immense area OF California, and
the small population in comparison with
older States, let us look at some figures.
The population of Connecticut to the square
mile is 129; Massachusetts, 221 New York,
106; Pennsylvania %; Ohio, So; Indiana,
50; Iowa, 80; Missouri, 25-while Califor-
MIA has only 81. Take out our large COM
mercial cities and it is only about . to a
square mile This meager population is
entirely inadequate for the
DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RESOURCES.
Here we have winterless climate, in
consequence of which it does not cost Us
half so much Tor the maintenance of
human life. in the Eastern States no out
door work is done for six months of the
year. They are compelled to have warm
and more substantial houses and clothing
Considering our climate and advantages,
California should be able to support a
larger population than can be supported
on the same area anywhere east of the
Rocky Mountains. New England has pop
uation of over 100000. Wehaye much
larger area and vastly superior resources.
Any of the unsettled 100000 of acres in
our fOot-hill regions is better than any land
they cultivate There is warm belt
region running through the foothills that
will produce all the cereals, vegetables and
fruits, and no country in the world has
such a water supply Away up in the
mountain sides ON the slate rock and in red
soil excellent oranges are cultivated with
out irrigation People in the East will not be-
lieve us when ctell them that in California
oranges lemons figs and olives are grown
in this State fifteen miles north Of the 10th
parallel vet such is the case 1t is
the farthest point north in the world
where semi-tropical fruits are grown
with success, or even grown at all.
Ours is 4 migratory people. We
are people ever hungry for the horizon,
constantly looking westward for homes.
Our population has ever been one of home
seekers They first crossed the Alleghenies,
next settled in the lake basins, peopled the
great valley of the Mississippi, crossed the
plains, the Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas,
and many have found their Eden
on THE GOLDEN SHORES OF THE PACIFIC.
According to our last census. 100000 of
our national population came from Europe
and made here their homes. Over 100000
are children born of foreign parents Their
earnings in one year would pay
off our national debt of $1,6OO,O0O,-
900. According to the same census,
100000 native born citizens have
left their native States and located. as
a general rule, farther west II is this con-
slant endeayor to improve their condition
and develop our latent resources that has
made ours the first, the richest and the
proudest nation or earth. They are still
in search of homes, and we can get them
headed this way. In the past five years
the population of Texas has increased over
100000. The reason for this unparalleled
Immigration is that the State has an immi-
grafton bureau which informed the immi-
grant of their resources, climate produc-
lions, etc, and thus held out an inducement
to him to try his fortunes in the Lone Star
State. In the pastt five years the population
of Colorado has increased 100000 for pre-
ciseiy the same reason. Why should Colo
RADIO improve so much more rapidly than
California? Their best lands will not com
pare with the product of our foothills and
as 10 climate,
THERE sIMLPY Is No COMPARISON.
The last time he was in Denver "a Colo
radoan, in speaking of their climate said
" We have three seasons here, July, August
and winter Denver, the great city of the
plains. in 1870 had population of only
1900, and to-day it is over 10000. Some
counties III the State similarly situated to
those in our mountains have popula-
tons of from 10000 to 10000 This
healthy condition is owing entirely to the
immigration that is induced by the State
immigration Bureau. The increase
of population in the past ten years in Ore
gon has been % per cent, Texas %, Kansas
173, Nebraska 27S Idaho rs, Colorado 3SS,
and California only 81 The percentage in
the increase of farms for the past ten years
in some of the States was as follows
Florida 1919, Minnesota 100, Oregon Id.
Colorado 100 Alabama Id, Kansas 163,
Nebraska 800, and California only 53. He
said Ell Dorado county offered excellent
opportunities for the securing of homes.
The soil was exceedingly fertile, and
water for irrigation abundant In that
county were 10000 acres of unappro-
priated Government land, over one-half
of which was susceptible of the
highest cultivation In that county, which
was not unlike others similarly situated,
all the cereals could be grown without irri-
CATION. In Colorado nothing can be raised
without irrigation. The plains are used
for grazing purposes only. The census of
1880 shows no State or Territory in the
Union where the land holdings are one
half SO large as they are in California,
where they average 1877 acres TO n farm. If
we can get the immigrants here we will
make land so valuable that it will have TO be
sold TO fruit-growers. 1t will be worth too
much money to raise wheat or grow wool
on. What the State ought to do is to
establish an immigration commission
and appropriate means to advertise this
country not only in the East, but 70 the
world, and thus induce immigration. We
want 10 show them that ours is land
without a winter, and thus induce people
of means TO come among us, build up
homes, cultivate our lands, become pros
porous, and
ADD PROSPERITY TO THE ENTIRE STATE