The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-01-14
The Industrial Bureau.

tain the commission, and OF the reac-
tionary feeling observable in the press
and among the people, n correspondent
in a note to the editor accompanying a
recent communication to the WATCH
MAN, says: Il believe you are right
Vermont is her own worst enemy"
The critics of the late commissioner
were fond of representing that irrepar-
able injury had been done Vermont by
his advertisement of her abandoned
farms and of the opportunities here for
buying farm lands at very low prices.
But who shall estimate the damage to
the state accruing indirectly from these
criticisms and directly from the uu-
patriotic, and uubusinesslike course of
the legislature in refusing to follow up
and push to its natural conclusion the
work begun in 1888? Vermont yields
the field to her comp 5titors. The re-
ports of her lack of enterprise, her in
difference to the commonest means of
success, her unwillingness to employ
the agencies that states as well as indi-
viduals must use if they would be
prosperous, have been heralded over the
country. "Vermont deserves nothing
if she is not willing to make an effort
for herself" say her truest and best
friends, grieved that having put her
hand to the pillow of progress she list
lessly turns her gaze backward. Yer
mont is a barren waste. A rabbit can't
cross the state without taking "A lunch
with him. Its legislature has aban-
doned its industrial and immigration
bureau" say the agents of immigration
companies interested in settling the
West and jealous of this new and at
tractive rival for the preference of the
best class of European emigrants.
What will be the effect of the late
change of policy on further immigra-
ton, and what on the colonies already
here? No similar enterprise, we ven
ture to say, ever opened with brighter
prospect of success. 1t was the en-
phatic testimony of Mr.. Nordgren that
a wonderful success was achieved in a
short time and at a slight expense.
"During my fifteen years of expe.
rience in emigration" he declared re-
Gently, never met people who re-
ceived foreigners more kindly and
generously than the people of Vermont
The newcomers, with the hope of soon
having their friends and relatives in
Sweden with them, felt, with few ex.
ceptions, contented with their new
state had continued the commission,
say for two years more, Vermont would
have been settled by Scandinavian
people more largely than Maine, anC
for about one-third the cost to that
state" Mr.. Nordgren has received
hundreds of letters of inquiry from his
countrymen, and had given them tc
understand that the matter of theil
coming here would be in the hands OF
some representative Of the state. Very
likely, he is wondering now what he
shall write his countrymen. His an.
swer would be likely to be rather con.
gealing. The Swedes at Wilmington
and Weston, if left alone, may not be-
come alarmed or disconnected, but they
must feel as if they had lost the protec
tinn nf tho @ a Of M yhaY
they greatly need it. 1t would not bt
strange if rival interests should take
advantage of the existing status tC
breed alarm and discomfort, and 81
break up the colonies and persuade
, them to remove to other states. There
must at least, unless some counteract
, ing effort is made, be a check upon thu
coming of their friends and relatives
J now that there is no representative o
the state to whom they can look TO
counsel and protection. This would
be natural. Strangers in strang,
/ land, they seek and rely upon the ad
, vice and direction of the states repre-
| beuldllNc.
/ What can be done in this emergency
5 The state is likely to suffer seriously
= nothing is done. If towns and indi
I viduals interest themselves and vii
e take hold of the matter in earnest, muc
=. may be done. But this implies organ
. ization. 1t implies work, time and ex
4 pense. The performance of servic
: like this is peculiarly the function q
: the state. State agency, state inter
e est and responsibility, give dignity
d strength, character, and inspire conf
f dence, and the state acting through il
t chief official may yet do more than an
d other or all other agencies combined t
n maintain any advantage already game
It from the strangled bureau, and exten
vt such advantage so far as it is possibl
h or practicable.
l.. L. laaA I