The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-22
A BILL To HELP MONTANA.

The bill introduced by Representative
SWEET to establish q bureau Of agrioul-
ture, labor and industry, and for the APP
pointment of the commissioner thereof,
is in accordance with the provisions OF
tho states constitution. 1t contains
many valuable features. and, SO far, aa
it goes, is Il good measure and should
become a law. 1t provides briefly that
the commissioner shall collect statistics
relating to all departments Of labor,
shall have power to summon witnesses
to obtain this information, shall have
the direction of a census to be taken
every ten years and shall have author
ity to employ such assistance as is nee
essary to carry out the work OF his Of
flee. He is also required to furnish to
1t occurs to us that the benefits of
this office would be greatly increased il,
by some modification of the bill, the
commissioner could be empowered to
give special attention to the gathering
of information for prospective immi-
grants. More than anything else for her
development, Montana needs people,
and every legitimate means should be
employed to bring them here. This can
best be done in a systematic way
through a bureau which would furnish
reliable information under authority OF
the state. Facts relating to public
lands and methods of securing them,
the climate of Montana, the cost Of
labor and living, railroad rates, access to
markets. prices of products and many
kindred subjects should be sent into
every corner of the country for the pur-
pose of increasing the population. An
important feature OF this work would be
a chapter on the development and re-
suits Of irrigation.
The first duty Of our legislators after
providing for the states actual needs, is
to bring all forces to bear for the devel-
opment of all resources. This means
actual financial benefits to every citizen
in the state. The collection of labor
statistics is necessary, but under pres
emf conditions, it would seem that it
would not occupy all the time of a COM
missioner and clerk. The majority Of
day laborers in this state are employed
in mines which are under the constant
inspection of two officers appointed for
that purpose. If Mr.. Swett's bill could
be SO arranged as to include the above
suggestions in the work of the commits
proposed for this bureau, We be-
lleve hat the beneficial results would
be almost beyond estimate. 1t should
be, in a general way, a bureau Of infor-
where n one can secure facts
about all u Of the state upon ap-
plication. Every week The T~NDEpEND-
ENT receives letters from people in every.
part of the country requesting informa-
ton about Montana. and within the
past year these inquiries have nearly
doubled. 1t is impossible to answer all
of them without opening a bureau for
that purpose, but it is gratifying to
know that Montana attracts attention
wherever people are thinking Of making
q change. The work of advertising the
state should be pushed hard during the
next few years. Our sister states in the
and northwest long ago recog-
nized the Importance of this and have
gone ahead of us in the growth of popu-
lation because their legislatures have
the matter in hand. 1t is quite
for Montana to show activity in
this line, and she depends upon her law
for assistance.
Irrigation and immigration should
hand in hand, and neither should
be neglected at the cost Of the other. IT
the legislature provides state aid to irri-
cation, as is most earnestly hoped, it
should provide some means to bring set
to irrigable lands. That this can
be done without any great cost by pro-
vlding additional duties for the COM
missioner of labor cannot be doubted
and while we heartily favor the bill as
proposed, we hope it will be amended
so as to increase the value of the office
to the state.