St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-09-25
OUR SWEDISH FELLow-CITIzENs.


Commissioner Valentines first re-
port speaks for itself clearly and con-
cisely. Only to that portion of it re-
lating to Swedish immigration do
we wish to call special attention be-
cause the commissioner course in
regard to that has been the subject
of severe criticism in some quarters
and because he seems to us to have
made good defence.
The commissioner narrateS in de-
| tail the circumstances attending the
arrival of the Swedish colonists now
| here, the successful establishment of
the colonies and the general satisfac-
ton felt a the result by the Swedish
settlers and their American neigh
bors The colonists are described as
fine, strong, healthy body of men
and women" and most of them are
intelligent and able to write clearly
and legibly. Entire satisfaction has
followed the Wilmington and Weston
settlements and the colonists at these
places are SO well pleased that they
have sent for friends in Sweden to
| Join them The Vershire farms were
good but the colonists could not pro-
cure work in the vicinity and the
colony was therefore broken up, one
family going to Weston, one to Ben
nington, and seven others purchas-
| ing lands in Essex where they are
contented and satisfied.
The commissioner justly lays great
stress on the advantage to the state
of the wide advertising has received
through the measures taken to in
duce immigration. He calls atten-
ton to the good results from a SINH
lar work begun in Maine twenty
years ago. 1.-THE total immigration
of Swedes to the state of Maine" he
says, ''as a result of the law consti-
tuting the commission, now
amounts to many thousands. The
church and school, thrift and con-
tentment mark every Swedish settle
ment, wherever found, from Maine
to the Pacific" Good testimony
this, founded on actual experience.
Against the objection made by the
poor-spirited beings who fear that
any additional competition will cur
tail their market, the commissioner
presents this convincing argument:
The commissioner is aware that some
object to the effort to reclaim the So
called abandoned farms, because, as they
urge, it makes more competition in the
sale of produce. This view could with
equal propriety be urged against the es-
tablishment of manufactures or any
other industry. Again, the competition
of immigrants is Just as effective in raiS-
ing grain on western prairies as on Yer
mont hills; and even assuming that the
inmi grant would not come to this cOun-
try if he did not come to Vermont, all the
addition he could make to the nations
store of produce from the little state of
Vermont could not vary the price to any
appreciable extent.
The immigrant to the West has made
the western states great, rich, and pow
crful, and many a prosperous Vermont
farmer has sent his money westward for
investment, confident of appreciation of
values on account of this same Scandi-
navian immigration, and generally he
has not been disappointed. Money seeks
investment where the best returns are
expected, and the greater the prosperity
of Vermont the more its money viii be
absorbed at home. The immigrants of
whom we speak are consumers as well as
producers, and there is no state, or bust
ness which is not benefited by their pres
en:e.
1t is recognized fact that the vicious
and undesirable classes of other lands, in
large numbers, take advantage of the
opportunity offered by our liberal immi-
grafton laws. The Scandinavian does
not belong to these classes, and fortunate
is Vermont if he can be induced to settle
within her borders. 1t is estimated that
the average citizen adds to the wealth of
the country $50 a year, or 6 per cent of
$1,000; such being the case, an addition
of 10000 to our population from any
source adds to our aggregate wealth
$1O,OOO,O0O. But this is not all, for
there are individual benefits, especially to
the farmer and manufacturer, in being
surrounded by an industrious class, to
supply laborerS for the farm and mill,
and dOmestics for the home.
Others, too, are welcome, and it is
noticed that inquiries have come
from Scotland as a result of the work
thus far done, also that many farms
have been sold to old Ver1nonters
and to others who have had their
attention called to the advantages
now offered by the state to indus
trious, thrifty settlers. This is an
indirect result of the Swedish immi-
grafton idea. While he labOrS
strongly with a definite end in view
the work of the commissioner thus
gathers around it desirable accre-
tions which will prove most valua-
BILE to the state in the long run.
Commissioner Valentine sustains
we'll his position and more than justi-
fies the very moderate expenditures
thus far made in his department.
The state should continue the practi
cal work SO auspiciously begun.
NOTE AND COMMENT
1t is notable fact that the United
States has succeeded to Great Brit
aims rank as the leading iron and
steel producing nation of the world.