Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1894-01-19
Frnm the Pioneer Press.

Frnm the Pioneer Press
A. 3. johnson, Of New York
head ofthe well known steamship
firm Of As. d. johnson & Co., ar
rived III thecity yesterday morning
and registered at the Ryan. Mr..
johnson is hereto attend the annual
meetings of tile stockholders and
directors Of the Scandinavian
American bank Of st. Paul and
the Washington bank Of Minneap-
oils, of which concerns he is vice
president. He leaves this evening
for New York, from which point.
he will sail on the 18th for
Europe. Mr.. johnson stands in
the very front rank OF Americas
steamship men, and is a recognized
authority on the subject Of steam
ship immigration. He stated to a
Pioneer Press reporter last even.
ing that he considers the prospects
OF immigration, as far as the N orth-
west is concerned, during the COM
ing season very bright, and Stated
explicitly his reasons for enter.
tanning such optimistic views on
this subject.
"Of course, s he said, eve have
been through a panic. That state
ment has become platitude.
Every section of the United States
must recover, sooner or later, but
we will recover first Of all. NY
reasons for asserting this is that
we do not depend upon manu-.
featuring industries, but on agri-
culture. La July and August
shops and factories in the East
were closing rapidly while we in
the Northwest were harvesting. =
There Was.such demand for la Dor
here during the harvest time that
we could use the surplus labor
that was temporarily thrown out
OF employment. Hundreds and
thousands of miners who were
idle of necessity went to the har-
vest fields of. the Dakotas. Conse-
quently the comparatively small
number of people who depended
on labor were furnished work un-
til winter set in. These people
not: onl y were enabled to support
themselves for the time being, but
to lay aside certain amount
against the evil day"
MIR. johnson proceeded to Illus
trate that there are 100000 less
lahorers in America today than six
months ago. These were foreign.
ers who have returned home.
Italians represent the largest
classes Of emigrants from this
country. All southern countries
OF Europe received their share of
the unemployed. Many skilled
mechanics from Great Britain re-
turned home. Those who returned
home in the least numbers were
Scandlnavians and Germans. The
majority Of the 100000 mentioned
were in the East, very few in the
West and Northwest. The effect
OF this on immigration this season
IS readily seen. These people will
spread unfayorable reports among
their countrymen regarding the
prospects Of securing employment
IN the East and will discourage
emigration In that direction. On
the other hand, as Mr.. johnson
said, while the Northwestern
farmers produced less than usual
and received low prices, they were
Still III such good financial condi-
tlon that several thousands Of
Scandinavian farmers from Mime.
sofa and the Dakotas alone went
back to~their homes to spend the
holidays with relatives and friends
and will return early enough in the
spring to reeanno the farm work.
A large number of these had round
trip excursion tickets, and they
carried on the average as much
spending money as usual.
"These Scandinavians,' con.
tinued Mr.. Johnson in this connec-
tion, will prove valuable 1mmi.
grafton agents for our country, and
will bring with them not laborers
but farmers and farm hands. The
effect, therefore, of their tempo
rary return will be as beneficial to
the Northwest as the permanent
absence of the Eastern laborers
will be detrimental to the immi.
grafton interests of the East.
II think also that we will have
a good volume Of domestic emf:
grafton from the East and Middle
states. We shall get more from
cities than ever before, and while
they may not be as desirable or as'I
valuable for the country as farm
ers from Illinois or Indiana, who
come with a car load or two ell
implements, we shall be glad to
get them. These city people will
be those who have saved up a few
hundred dollars and, knowing the
certainty of labor, will come
to the great Northw est, become
small farmers and producers and
ultimately independent. Tn this
connection, I may say that there
are probably 500 families annually
leaving St. Paul and Minneapolis,
who buy forty Of fifty acres of
land within a r: dius of $50 miles
of here, and I believe that every
effort should be made to stimulate
this class Of emigration from the
cities to the agricnltnral districts