News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-01-23
The immigration Scheme.
CAMBRIDGE, VT, Jan. Is, 1890.

No. ITO of the Session Laws of 1888.
Evidently the Legislature thought
something was the matter with the
State of Vermont. The sections of
this law refer to the agricultural in
terests and productions OF the State +;
it's livestock interests, and the prices
of farm property and farm labor
also the manufacturing interests OF
the State, especially of its undevel-
oped manufacturing and agricultural
resources" And then the Legislature
decides to make inquiry and goes
on to provide for the same by
appropriating $4,000 to defray the
expense of the investigation; and
further provides that the Governor
appoint a Commissioner, that our
misfortunes may be published $50 far
as our agricultural conditions are
concerned) to the world, and more
especially to the princlpalltles OF
Sweden and Denmark, and that SAID
Commissioner receive the per diem
paw of SIS 90 and actual expenses.
The Governor, in his wisdom and
discretion, selected the gallant Major
Valentine, professionally a knitting
boss, or in other words one OF the
proprietors of the Bennington mills
for the manufacturing of knit goods.
So far as / am apprised he has de-
voted his time almost exclusively to
the farmer, and being everything
but a farmer himself. of course his
ability to look after their interests is
much superior to that of intelligent
agriculturist.
The result is that from time to
time his valentines have gone
forth to the world, but more espec-
tally to the principalities of Sweden
and Denmark, that the farms of YER
mont are pretty much deserted, and
those that are not deserted are aban-
doned-two terms very much like the
good woman's twins, Zone looked so
like both, that you cOuldn' tell t other
from which''-and that the ghosts of
the former proprietors were bobbing
up among the copse and dilapidated
buildings, crying to the world, but
more especially to the principalities
of Sweden and Denmark, occupy us
for from two dollars and fifty cents
to five dollars per acre, and we will
allow you the same opportunities to
starve that we enjoyed" And the
proclamation went forth to the world,
but more especially to the pripcipali-
ties of Sweden and Denmark, and the
result is all that could have been ex-
pected by the most visionary man In
the State. Farms have been depreci-
ated from twenty to forty per cent.
in value, and are difficult to dispose
of at any price, while knit goods are
"all WOOL" comfortable to wear, but
beyond the reach of the average
farmer Now in my opinion this Val
entine racket is all the veriest fraud
that was ever inflicted upon the
State, and has worked a material in
jury to the farmer that will require
years to recover from. To employ
the State to depreciateyour property
is to me suicidal, and the price of
real estate to-day is my evidence,
But the methods being used are not,
in my opinion, those that the Legisla-
ture intended far from it, and a great
wrong and scandal is being inflicted
upon the State thereby. | have ex-
amined some of these lands, and
they are good for nothing for farm
some of them being slash
lands that have been Invested of lum-
Der and wood, and should be allowed
to grow up to wood again as quick
as the mountain winds and shallow
soil will allow them so to do. Many
people outside the State think there is
a frightful condition of affairs here,
and that one thousand dollars will
purchase a desirable two hundred
acre farm. Now such is not the fact,
though it will come a mighty sight
nearer that figure than it would be-
ore the Maj, began business. What
S giving a bad taste in the mouths
IF real estate owners ia Vermont, is
lhe price put upon corporation lum-
Der lots, stripped of their timber. |
md their owners would be proud to
ret rid of them at any price. And
over mortgaged, unproductive farms
hat lay hard upon the mortgages,
md that secured an over valuation
Turing the war and Immediately sub !
'equent thereto, and the State of |
Vermont, is advertising this proper
~ for those who should do their own |
lirty work, and are doing it to the
ietriment of valuable and healthy |
Now | say we have had |
,nough of this. You may cry stink
ng fish until their bones blow away,
md it will not improve the market.
The poor Swedes are an innocent |
people; why scheme to abuse them and
make their condition worse than it
low is? Import one hundred families
)f them, land | had rather have the
benefits derived from the Morrisville
rannery or Pages Hide House than
Ill the North Men" Valentine will Sc
luce onto deserted farms in five
7ears. The trouble is there are too
many farmers, with the consequent
'esult, over production. Butter.
oeef ana Cheese are too cheap: knit,
GOODS too high. Go for the manu-
lacUurlng industries. Let's have
more knitting mills, wooden mills
COTTON mills. etc, etc. Omen more
granite quarries, marble uuarrias
soap-stone quarries. Let's have 80, 49,
Barres, Rutlands, Burlingtons r.
nlngtons. A longer dining POL o
with the tables all filed, is what tba
State of Vermont wants; more o SH
ers, less producers from the soil
Major or some one else go M
and down our rivers and esfimatpo
the number of horsepower and
their availability, the hidden wAa d4b
OF the State and possibility and
profit in exposing the same. There
is undeveloped wealth enough in |
TINS State to increase the population
to SIX hundred thousand within the
next ten years, but it can never he |
accomplished by Valentine S methods
issuing a little map with the pes-
Illentlal sections marked with a red
nag by day and a lit lantern by night
VIII never boom the State of Yer
mont, but will be an admonition to
all sensible people to keep away, dan,
gerous. Either let us alone or give
Us something that will help us.
Yours truly,
W. III. PARKER.
That beautiful glossy sheen an ro,,oL -,