New-York tribune., 1903-03-30
BUYS LAND FOR FINNS.
ProUide 100000 Acres in Michigan
for Immi grants.

A Ioevennent is on foot to provide homes ana
farms for Finnish immigrants who are leaV'hs
their country on account OF the hafsn po'ieS u
the Russian Government toward them
A company Of prominent Firms who have seE-
tied in America in years gone by ana ploa-
pered, deeiring TO help their less fortunate coun-
trvrnen. have purchased three hundred thousand
oc-n. of land In the lower peninsula Of Mchi-
gan. right in the hardwood belt. This land VIII
be apporttoned to settlers. and assistance VIII
be given 10 start them right.
Ever since the Russian Government 70"
years ago began the policy OF Russishizils
the Firms. q number of them who felt the yoAe
too hard to bear have come to America "heh
some time ago, through poor crops ano oTou'll
q general famine resulted. IN addition to poHtlCa
troubles it bore heavily on Finland. AT rnat
time a fund was raised in America to relieVe
the distress.
Several Americans. among them Dr. LOUIS
KIopsch and Mr.. wiIletts went abroad to assist
the work Of relief In addition to these Dr.
Karl SederhoIm, of Milwaukee, one Of the men
interested in the colonizing of Firms here, went
also His work, however. was to study the SIT
uation on the spot and to devise plans to move
those who wanted to settle in America
At the Holland House yesterday he spoke
about the situation in Finland to Tribune re-
porter.
while the famine was severe, Sald me- 'll0
reports that four hundred thousand persons were
starving is somewhat exaggerated. Strange to
saw. the famine pressed hardest on those Of the
middle classes who formerly held clerical places
and the like but who were forced out by the
government. These had been idle for so long
that their savings had become exhausted. ana
it was impossible TO find places for them When
the famine came Il found them penniless.
I'm two cities where the general courts are
held most of the native Finnish officials were
ousted The policy of the Russian governor has
been to fill all places with Russians
Prior to 1898, when this policy began, Finland
was prosperous and contented. 1t had a gov
ernment of it's own like Canada, and the people
were loyal to Russia
"a system Of repression in every form that be-
came intoIerable began in 1893. Russian
Governor was put in who, backed by the reac-
tionary party at ST. Petersburg. began to stamp
out everything Finnish. Customs. language
everything, were changed. Finland had not
been rebelous, so it is impossible to understand
the cause Of this attitude.
Native taxes were paid without murmur or
complaint, which makes 1t still more strange
When the people realized that there was no
hope of the old order being restored they began
to look to America as place to settle. Some
Fins, who came here years ago and became
citizens, planned to help them, and this land In
Michigan obtained.
Il have just returned from a three months
trip in the interest of the colonization scheme,
and have placed several hundred farnilles' ana
more are coming. They will be started on the
right path in this country, where they will be
come citizens They will be provided with
money and homes to begin their new existence.