Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-02-29
FOR the Tsyening Capital.
. rnrnas1pATr0N SCHEME.

THE IMMIGRATION SCHEME.
Ma. EDEroR:-While We dissent
from the CAPITAL IN its estimate Of
foreign immigrants. for many OF our
best citizens are of foreign birth and
NE are all the descendants OF for
eigners, vet we entirely agree IN
your views as to the act Of fully aid
political scheme introduced IN the
Legislature for the establishment of
q travelling bureau; IN other words
to pay 81 O0o - year and travelling ex-
penses aud as / !. 200 clerkship to some
body to have a pleasant trip to Europe
every year or wherever be chooses to
pass the summer to induce emigration
of character which will reach Us in
sufficient numbers unsolicited, while
we neglect the more desirable and
available Of our own country.
There ia not . week that the Sec
rotary OF State or the Clerk of the
Land Office does net receive letters
from every section OF the Union
asking for information as to our
State, requesting our agricultural
or geological report, our statistics OF
labor, manufacture, etc., to which
no reply can be sent as We have no
such documents prepared. A perma-
nent bureau here at the seat OF gov
eminent is what we need and not
an amjulatory one.
Our State Museum is q nucleus
of tangible and visible information,
and if properly developed as a bu-
reau of information, with collection
of our products, mineral, geological
and agricultural, Systematically ar
ranged, so as to show their value
from their crude state up to COM
plete manufacture, with statement
of commercial value, location, etc.,
it would do more to develope our
State than twenty gentlemen with
their clerks junketing around at the
taxpayers cost.
We pay literally to charitable in
situations and for comfortable mo-
nastic retreats for tramps and con-
victs, and lodge crime and idleness
in luxury. What do we do to pre-
vent this idleness and crime by
giving employment through the de-
velopment of our natural resources?
In reply to persons who wish to set
tie in Maryland or to work our mines
or marbles, we can send = report on
the penitentiary or house of correc-
ton, the insane asylum, etc., but
not map of the State or of any
county showing its peculiar soil and
situation or its mineral products, or
any account of our climate or pro-
auctions II tho person persists in
this encouragement and comes here
for information, he may be shown
in back room of the Land Office
the remnants of what we paid mercy
enough for to send to Philadelphia
and New Orleans, and yet do not
appropriate dollar to make show
ing at home where the investment
would be returned a thousand fold
in inducing even one investment OF
capital in the State.
Let the So, 900 year be given to
the State Museum and the 81 200, if
you please, to the over-worked clerk
of the Land Office, whose gratuitous
exhibition of our museum is a shame
to our State, or else give the gentle
man with the carpet bag his salary
on condition he stays at home and
works his district for his boss. At
least let US save his travelling expen-
SEES; or let the European tour be i'm
posed upon some political friend
whom it is desirable to get out OF
our road. The act is job and an
act of folly.