St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-19
T. C. Hodgson Ably Presents
His Views Favoring the
Proposition,
But Very Strong and Radical
Objections Are Gener-
ally Urged.
The Labor and Farmer Inter-
est Both Appear to Be
Antagonistic.


c.. Hodgson on immigration. The
subsequent discussion showed that the
immigration bureau idea is not at all
popular with farmers or wage-Workers.
Several members of the legislature and
officers of the Farmers Alliance were
present
The following are some extracts from
Hodgson's paper:
This country is now increasing at the
rate of nearly one and half millions
per anDum. The United States thus
adds to its population each year larger
plumber than the entire state of Mime
sofa contains. The natural increase
must. of course, be the greatest in the
old and most densely populated regions,
where it finds the least opportunity to
remain. This increase, then, must
swarm out. it must go somewhere, and
it is going somewhere every year. For
the last five or six years it has been
going very largely to the Southwest-to
Kansas, Texas and Nebraska. Those
states have increased enormously dur
ing the past ten years, and that in
crease has been very largely during the
past five years.
According to the United States CEN
sus reports Texas had population of
1881, 749 in 1880, and 2,232, 220 in 1890. be-
ing gain of $40, AL in the aggregate, or
over 40 per cent. Nebraska ran up from
452, 404 to LOSS. 1913, being gain of 604.-
391, or more than 1873 per cent. And
the past five years. being the exact pc
Rod that Minnesota has put forth no eff
fort to set before the world the magni-
tude and richness of her undeveloped
resources. We have quietly laid on our
backs and said if these people don't
want to come here they can go to Texas
or Tophet for all we care. Now, the fact is,
immigration is much the same as
people in the social world, it
goes where it is invited, and rare
ly intrudes where it is not in
vited, no matter how rich the oppor-
tunities may be. Our neighbors of the
Southwest and the far West have made
every possible effort to attract the great
army of immigrants, and they have sue
ceeded to marvellous extent. No man
who knows anything about this coun-
try can for an instant doubt that we can
offer vastly greater advantages and
more assured success to the home seek
er than any of those states.
Much effort has also been made to at
tract immigration to the South of late
years, and the result is that hundreds
of thousands of Northern people are
to-day engaged in developing the hith-
erto dormant and unproductive re-
sources of those states, whose gates
have until lately opened on rusty and
unwilling hinge to admit the North
man. A new and vigorous life has thus
been infused into the Southern people,
and their varied industries have taken
on sort of get-there hump and hustle
that was never seen or felt in Dixie be-
fore. The orange groves have felt the
touch of this new life and have bloOmed
with more eXuberant luXuriance,
and yielded more abundant and richer
fruitage, than in the sleepy laisseZ-faire
days of the past. Towns have sprung
up with rapidity that has eliminated
all marvel from the magician's wand
and Alladdin's lamp. Under the new
regime the cotton fields are blooming
with new and stronger vitality, and
the mountains are pouring forth the hid
den treasure from their dark receSses.
Railroads are being pushed with rush
that surprises the sleep valleys, and
the commercial, professional and indus
trial, as we'll as the social world, is
awaking in the strength and thrill of
A Genuine Renaissance.
If during the past four or five years
we had judiciously expended from $10,-
600 to $4,000 per annum in bringing to
our state good class of immigrants, in
stead of having thousands of vacant
houses and stores in Minnea polls and
ST. Paul, we should not have had places
| sufficient to accommodate the people.
Instead of building one-half as many
houses next year as we built the last
year, we should have found it necessary
| to build twice as many next year as
last. Instead Of people everywhere
| crying production" we should
! not have been able to keep within
moon shot of the demand Instead OF
| the universal howl for retrenchment in
| public works in the city property hold
ers would have been stumbling owe.
| each other in their eagerneSS to reach
| the board of public works to demand
new sidewalks, sewers, water mains,
| gradings, bridges and public buildings
| By our old fogy, short-sighted policy we
! have allowed other countries to grow
| and prosper DIT our expense. The great
| mass of those who have gone to other
places would have been vastly better
off had they come to Minnesota, and we
should have been better off by having
| them here.
Minnesota Resources.
What are some Of the unused re
sources of the state?
Minnesota contains about $4,000, 900 OF
acres. of which about 100000 acres are
| water. OF this vast area of land only
about G, 000.0 900 acres are under euItiva
ton. little less than one-eighth of the
| whole. Of the remainder, small parts
of the timber land and mineral regior
are being used. l think it will be safe
to estimate that not over 100000 il
| all, or one-ffth of the dry land, is to-
day in actual use. This leaves abou
4O,OOO,O0O acres Of unused farm lands
timber lands. mineral lands and
| pine lands. Many people still
believe Minnesota is an exclu-
sively agricultural state. So far is thi.
from the truth that, measured by thu
output of its products. it is not ever
chiefly agricultural. The mineral ey
port alone is almost equal in value t,
the wheat export, while the export O
manufactured articles, including foul
| opd lumhpr mucf hQ munh rrQafnr tb =