Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-26
TO BOOM THE STATE.

Iho state immigration ana Development NJ
Society Meets ut Charleston-PrOmiEe
Citizens Prssent-Addresse by O. b.
Hart and Governor Wilson.
Special Telegram to the Register.
CHARLESTON, January 25.-The Slate
hmm grafton and Development Society me;
here to-day. In the morning privats
meeting of the Board of Vice Presidents
was held. Secretary Butcher presented
his report. Tho financial showing was q
most favorable enc. One thousand nine
hundred and sixty seven dollars and thir-
ty-five cents have been collected since the
Society was formed, and 81, 357 &C were
expended, leaving a balance on hand OF
S6O9.69. In addition to this there are
substantial pledges for more than 81 300 in
the bands of the Secretary. The draft Of
bill to be presented to the Legislature
was passed upon and approved. 1t pro-
vides that the Governor shall appoint
Board of Immigration and De-
velOpment, consisting of one MEM
ber from each Of the Senatorial
districts, and one member st lerge. The
duty of this board will be to collect infor-
nation as to the resources of the State and
publish it in proper form. The Board will
be empowered to appoint q secretary and
such other assistants rs may be necessary.
An appropriation of $15, 600 for each Of the
years 1889 and 1890 is asked for.
The society held public meeting in the
evening, and many of the most prominent
citizens in the State were present. Ad-
dresses were made by c. B. Hart, Governor
Wilson and others. A resolution was
unanimously carried expressing the sense
of the assembly in favor of liberal appro-
priatiOn to further the work of State devel-
opment.
President Hart laid stress on the fact
that there is abundant material in this
country, especially in the Northwest caps-
BILE of being worked up into good West
Virginia citizens, and that there is no need
Of special effort in foreign lands.
"With we'll directed. business-like and
prompt effort said Mr.. Hart, there sre
good reasons why West Virginia shall sscuie
much more than her fair share Of this
movement of population, by which so many
States are striving to profit From the
middle States to, and all along the Atlantic
Seaboard to the Cotton Belt, and even be-
yord the Southern limit, come
inquiries for locations in West
Virginia. Your Board is glad
to be able to state that great number
of these inquiries come from persons who
desire small tracts Of land for farming and
pastoral purposes. OF these many want so
acres of unclesred land, so that by industry
and energy they may convert the wild
place into farms and plant civilization
amid the now almeSt unbroken solitdde.
These persons desire cheap lands, some for
cash, and some on loBg time at the legal
rate Of interest 1t has been the effort of
your Board to bring into business relations
with this last named Glass Of persons the
large land holders OF the State"
Speaking OF Alabama and her immigra-
tion movement, he said:
To-day, although Alabama has not
ceased to invite the capitalists and settlers,
having her agents TO represent her advan-
tages, population and capital ore pouring
in upon her, and her revenues increase so
rapidly that one reduction of taxation fol-
lows another to keep down the overflow.
Rich as Alabama is in natural resources, 1t
may be assured with confidence that her
advantages are not equal to West Virginia's,
and that, with the same effort 10 get agood
start Alabama's progress in the last ten
years can be excelled by West Virginia IN
the next decade"
1--WE get now to the matter which touches
the life of our movement and raises the
question whether it shall live at all. 1t
was never expected that this movement
could be carried on indefinitely by popular
subscriptiOn. The idea was to test the
public feeling and if the people gave an en-
coursging response, to make such begin
ming as would Justify the Legislature in
doing that which should have been under
taken in serious earnest long ago, and which
would now be as far of as ever If the people
themselves had not moved in the premises.
Your Board has caused to be prepared
what it deems proper bill, which now
with good conscience it hopes to have
pressed upon the consideration Of the Leg
islature. Other States in the Union, and
particularly among the Southern States,
they are making strong effort 10 draw 10
them capital and population, for which
purpose they send broadcast all over the
country publications setting forth their
advantages, and employ such other agen-
cies as may seem to them best to accom-
plish the end in view.
1.-THE Southern States are so keenly on
the scent that, as your Board is advised by
their State authorities, every one of them
is urging upon its Legislature liberal ap-
preparation for vigorous prosecution Of
the campaign of development. West Vir-
ginia cannot afford to lag behind in this
honorable race for advancement, nor is 1t
believed that her Legislature will permit
her to miss her splendid oppor-
tunity. From the intelligence of that body,
your Board expects such liberal treatment
as may furnish the official board TO be Gre
ated the necessary funds to carry on the
work promptly and vigorously. To the
successor whom it is hoped that the Legis-
lature will at this session create, your
Board, as the servants of this association Of
the people, commits the further prosecu-
tion of the work. "The Governors strong
recommendation to the recent Legislature
in his recent message, it is believed,
brought this whole question prominently
and favorably before West Virginia's law