The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-23
Hnnnes for Home Seekers.

In another column of this edition of the
MORNING NEWS will be found an interest
ing article from Mr.. j. H. Moore, farmer
near Waycross Ga, who points out some
of the ways in which people in the north
and west, who are thinking of seeking other
homes, may be attracted to Georgia. Mr.
Moore is satisfied that Georgia would re-
ceive hundreds of immigrants where she
now receives one, if her advantages of soil
and climate were generally known, and If
her schools were better.
Mr. Moore refers to Florida as an illus
! tration OF what may be done by judicfous
advertising of the states advantages and
by good schools, aad he has no doubt that
what has been accomplished in Florida can
be accomplished in Georgia.
Mr.. Moore is mistaken, however, in as
sllming that nothing has been done in
Georgia to encourage immigration. The
MORNING NEWS has been presenting Geor-
gia's advantages to the public for many
years, and has expended thousands of
dollars in trying to induce an industrious
class of immigrants to seek homes IN this
state Other newspapers of the state have
not been silent about immigration. Indeed,
| about all of them have done everything in
! their power to make the advantages of the
state known outside Of her limits. The Central
Railroad Company is trying to get indus
trious and progressive western people to
settle along it's lines of road. 1t has pro-
vided a s,ecial ear, furnished with the
products of Georgia's farms, mines, fac
tories and forests, and sent it through the
west in charg of an enthusiastic and thor
oughly competent commissioner.
The MORNING News is entitled to more
credit for the progress Florida has made
than any other single agency. 1t has
never missed an opportunity to place
| that state IN the best possible light
before the world. One of the reasons, how
ever, for Floridas marvellous growth and
prosperity is that she had vast area of
public lands Cheap lands were a great at
traction, and they attracted an energetic,
progressive and thrifty class of immigrants.
When Florida once got fairly started on the
road to prosperity, she moved along with a
steadily increasing momentum.
Georgia has no public lands She has
hundreds of thousands of acres of good
lands which, under the right kind of man
agement, could be obtained for prices about
as low as the prices Of government lands.
At present, however as soon as there is a
disposition to purchase them, the prices are
raised. The only way to secure cheap lands
in this state for immigrants is to form land
companies, with headquarters in the prin-
cipal towns, and get options on the lands
which are for sale The companies
should aim at nothing more for
themselves than to meet expenses. Their
main object should be to draw immigrants
to the state. Land agencies are very numer-
Gus in all the states which receive great
many immigrants. The newspapers of
Kansas are full of land agent advertise
ments.
1t is true that the common schools of
Georgia are not as good as they ought to be,
but the legislature is gradually waking
up to the fact that if it is desired that
she shall keep abreast of other states
she must provide better educational fecili-
ties for her children. 1t is not improbable
that an effort will be made in the present
legislature to greatly increase the amount
appropriated for schools If the people
would take the interest they should in school
matters they could soon bring such press
ure to bear upon the legislature that legis-
lation in behalf of the schools would be far
more liberal than it is.
The MORNING NEWS is heartily in favor
of anything that will encourage immigra-
ton. 1t favors better schools, and is ready
to advocate any legislation looking to
giving the children of Georgia as good pub
lie school facilities as are enjoyed by those
of any other state in the Union.