The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17

climate that cannot be eXcelled, and we
nave the institutions and advantages of
established civilization based on good gov
ernment education and religion. Well can
we challenge any community truthfully
to surpass us in these substantial and
highest attractions. They are all well
known to you and admirably detailed in
the valuable papers already presented to
this convention. The task before us is to
make them known throughout the civil
lied world and especially to the minds of
those likely to be Influenced thereby.
The printing press is, beyond question,
the chief agency for this purpose. The
very fact that this Washington immigra-
ton convention is in session will be her
aided and commented upon by all the lead
ing news journals of this country. The adj
mirable addresses and papers here pre-
sented are, in fact, better to influence the
minds of our fellow citizens of the middle
West than of us delegates Judiciously
edited and published as the proceedings of
this convention, as we trust they soon will
be, they will form statement of facts
worthy the attention of all interested in
such subjects. In addition to the publ
cation and diffusion of these articles state
ments of similar kind substantially ac-
curate in statistics and devoid of any SEN
Sational or boom character, should be pre-
pared and issued to the world in small
pamphlets and leaflets, with due proper
ton in the Scandinavian and German
languages as we'll as in English. The
newspapers of the state afford one of the
most effective and economical modes of
disseminating information, efficient use
can also be made of personal letters by
prosperous residents of our state to news
papers of the region of their former ac-
quaintance and to individual friends. We
know what an important factor in the past
such personal communication has been in
promotion of foreign immigration. Ad-
vantage should be taken of fairs or gen.
eral exhibitions to exhibit and advertise
our resources and products. This Los
Angeles did on large scale at the recent
Atlanta exposition, even as our state did
so effectually at the Chicago centennial.
While the day of promotion of immigra-
ton chiefly by land grant railroads has
passed by, yet the interests OF the great
TRANSPORTATION companies are so closely
united with the growth and prosperity OF
the state at large, their liberal and ener-
getic help can well be relied on. Funds
permitting active agencies may we'll be
established in Eastern cities. OF course,
no novelty is claimed for any of the fore
going suggestions relative to old and well
known methods, and experience and the
examples of other states may evolve yet
more efficient expedients.
To effect the wide diffusion of infOrm2-
ton as to our resources and attractions
in a continuous and adequate manner mon
ey must be had and spent with brains and
method through organization well con-
ceived and maintained AS the direct re-
srIt and substantial outcome of this con-
vention there should be organized
Washington immigration society, with
branch in each county. By concert of ac-
tion much can be accomplished that will
otherwise be left undone. There is room
for a great deal of individual patriotic
work for the public good in organizing
and maintaining such societies and col
Iecting funds for conducting their volun-
tarv work. It is only in permanent organ
ization and effective work in establishing
systematic methods for the diffusion of re-
liable information of the resources and at
fractions of our state, that this conven-
tion can fully justify its existence. Let us
hope that our assemblage may by its prac-
tical results, constitute a marked event in
that onward and upward progress which
we fervently pray may characterize the
anproach and dawn of the twentieth CEN
tury.