Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-21
IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRATION.
Superior Inducements offered by the state.
Duty Of the Legislature.
CHARLoTrrsyIILr, Va.
! To the + litor Of the Dispatch

/ . inc l. lllpI ol luo i'lopttNH
There j. no question of moro vital i'm
portance 10 the people OF Virginia TO day
/ than that of immigration. Our state is
/ sparsely settled. Ii suffered moro than
/ any other from the rava-eS OF war, and
/ the evils resulting from ltS loss OF property
I are as nothing compared with those en-
tailed by Its loss of men. The latter has
kapt II poor and hiss relocated some OF us
richest fclds TO brOOinsedge and the old
field pine. There are thousands of a'res
of neglected land IN many OF the best
counties OF the State which hayo not pad
tnxss since tho war. Thousands who
/ ought to be cuitlvatIag Virginia. soil and
as fathers Of families adding to hor riches
IN men have for generation been sleep
ing IN soldiers graves. ! ct the state mas
made no adequate effort T. repair lis losses
aIi TO bring immigrants INTO lts Bounds.
While the western States AMI sturdy
Texas have been gong out INTO the high
WAYS and hedges and compelling them 10
come IN. Virginia has been IN the tceolest
way extending her invitation.
AGGRESSIVE STEPS.
/ Tho Legislature should turn Its attan.
J ton t. tnis matter and TAKE aggressive
steps TO induce the better classes 10 be-
come citizens of our State. They can do
moro 20 build up the State and increase
taxable values IN this way than IN any
other The writ r has IN recent years fire.
Oueutlv travelled through the great agrl-
cultural States of the Union and III his
/ op,nloa no one OF them equals the induce
meuts Virginia offers to immigrants IN
cheap lands. salubrlous climate, good
water, nearne ss 10 great markets, and edu-
cati9nal facilities. For instance, an Abe
to,re-county farmer last fall sold his
Alhemarle plppIns growing on a few acres
of mountain laud for -, 800 In the orchard,
and vet lands Just a. good can oe bought
for from s. To $40 an acre and are TODAY
waste lands. 1t has been proposed re-
Gently in the pubic press TO have State
a,epts IN New York city u direct emil
grants To virginia but the objection to
fins plan is that desirable emigrants when
leaving foreign lands have already IN ode
their selection of homes and have been
provided with through tickets to their
| destination.
ONLY HoPf.
T Agents in New York could only hope to
get the refuse OF the Storage or pick ~
su occasional stray. Texas IN late years
has taken about nine tenths OF all the emil
grants who have come South AMI has ac-
complained this by having It's agents in
foreign lands The western States have
long done the same thing And this ~
what Virginia Will have to do II she would
be successful. 1T the worS were syste-
maticaily a1d inte!llgentlv prosecuted IN
England. Sweden, aud Germany, Virginia
would become what nsturs intended her
to be-one OF the first States of the Union.
1t IL sad TO drive for a day in MANY of
the best portions OF Virginia and look
upon untitled fields and empty houses
fast falling into decay. If 1t is true pa
trioiism 10 make two blades OF grass grow
where one grew before. how much moreis
i, 10 convert the waste lands OF our State
into fields OF profitable ausbandry andher
desert places into happy homes.
SAMUEL b. Woops.
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