The Opelousas courier., 1888-06-09
immigration.
Meeting of the State Association of Loui-
siana.

siana.
We make the following extracts from
the report of President Norman to the
State Immigration Association at its re-
cent meeting at Baton Rouge:
"Inasmuch as no provision was made
to defray your expenses to attend meet
ings of this committee, as its chairman
| decided to make the call for the as
sembling of it as seldom as possible,
and to await and meet here in Baton
Rouge at this time, hoping that you
would be compensated by the opportu-
nifty to attend to other public duties, as
we'll as in the satisfaction of having pa
triotically aided in this State Immigra-
ton Association, which offers such wide
avenues for the exercise of your ability
and we'll known public spirit.
"Having been vested by the conven-
ton in the resolutions passed with full
authority to transact all business per-
tanning to the objects of the association,
you are to be congratulated that the
outcome of the work as directed by you
has, in the limited space of about two
months, realized the income as shown
by the treasurer's report, and has borne
such good fruit for the real prosperity
of Louisiana, and has laid the founda-
tion for her future glory.
"The report as made by MIR. lsldore
Newman, ST., treasurer, which the sec
rotary, Major II. H. Baker, will read,
gives amounts actually collected and
known to be donated within less than
two months $6l46, with unofficial re-
ports of donations from several parishes
to be added and with the assurance
from a good many f the parishes that
| the amount contributed is only a com
mencement and that they will follow it
up with other generous donations. Be-
sides, many individuals and corpora
tons have notified us they will also
contribute literally.
"Out of this amount OF $6l46 only
1867. 10 has been expended to date.
This includes the outfit and opening OF
the office, printing, stationery, etc.,
which always entails the purchase of
certain articles which does not occur
again for a long time, leaving $577o.97
on hand unexpended, and the assocla-
ton practically yves nothing.
"Out of this $367.13 we have also
paid for copies of papers containing i'm
migration articles, which we have sent
all oyer the North also for circulars to
police juries, etc. Everything has been
economically administered, and patri-
otto citizens have made donations to aid
in our office outfit and to help the cause.
No salaries have been paid to any one.
"In the very short period since we
opened the State immigration office in
New Orleans, we have received and
sent out large numbers of immigrants,
home-seekers, settlers and capitalists
"In distributing them, we have tried
to be impartial, and have not favored
any particular section or locality, ex'
cept where the matter was left to US
We have detailed the advantages o
the entire State, and especially di
rected attention to the parishes which
have contributed to our fund, which w
consider was equitable and fair /; bu
where parties have predictions TO
any certain locality or parish, We hav'
} encouraged them in it.
"We have an agent, Mr.. Adelber
Brady, now in the Northwest getting
together a large number of farmers ant
others desiring to come South. He ha
already succeeded in bringing a colon,
down, who represent overz1O0 families
and they are now hunting locations il
Sabine, VIM, Grant, Natchitoches
Vernon and Bienyille parishes, and ex
press themselves as delighted.
"Most, in fact nearly all, of the visit
ors and applicants who have come t,
the office Of the association, have tn
money to paw for what they buy, an,
seem to be Of THAI desirable class q
citizens who add to the solid wealth !
a State.
ga good many of them have beef
bankers, investigating in order to in
troduce capital to be invested here tt
assist in building up the State, and
large number have been looking out fo
desirable locations for manufacture
End such enterprises as would Civ
work to our unemployed population
We have paid particular attention tt
these, and feel satisfied we haEe lait
the groundwork for the establishment
of many enterprises of this character, tx
be started here in Louisiana at an early
day.
~ deem it proper to call your atten'
ton to the following information ani
suggestions:
1--WE have yet in Louisiana abou'
100000 acres of government land no
taken up. I am in favor Of and believ.
we should make an effort at once tt
have this land withdrawn from the mar
ket and held for the use of homestead
for actualsettlers. 1t is true this actor
may turn a certain class of Speculation
away from Louisiana, but it will in tn
end result in a larger and more repre-
sentative population, and will certainl.
add more to the revenues and prosper
ity of the State and give immigrants al
opportunity to acquire homes at a tri
fling cost, and without having to bu.
from land Spectators at a profit.
~ believe the most economical ant
reliable way to obtain information, sta
tistics and data is to appoint the editor
of the newspapers in each parish al
agents of the bureau for this purpose
Let each parish paper issue mammoth
immigration editions, of which the bu
reau would subscribe for a suficien
number of copies to compensate then
for their labor, this matter to be uset
by the bureau for distribution in pam
phlets or otherwise. This would saw
4 - - 1s-u 800 =