The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-24
GETTING IMMIGRATION TO
 AR.ADAMA.

The bill introduced by Mir. Haley of Jefferson, to create Department of I'm
 migration is a move in the direction of bringing to Alabama some of the desir- able settlers who now go to other sec tions of the Union. This bill may need
 changes or amendments, but the para mount object of such legislation is to bring a desirable class of people to our State and that object should meet with hearty approval.
 Surprise has often been expressed at the apparent indisposition of foreign im- migrants to come to Alabama or to other Southern states. They seem to gravitate towards the Northwest, and the only plausible explanation is that those Wes- tern states always have agents looking out for fresh arrivals and offering them
 Inducements which seem sufficient to turn all of them away from the South. By being always on the ground and keeping eternally at it'' these agents are successful.
 Leaving out the occupations of mining or manufacturing, with all the induce ments they offer. it is safe to say that hardly any State in the Union offers greater advantages to farmers. gardeners and horticulturists who are seeking permanent homes than Alabama does. Between the Tennessee line and the Gulf there is almost every variety of soil and climate which tiller of the soil @or a grower of fruit could ask. The growing of grapes and the manufacture of wine for profit is no longer an experiment in Alabama for 1t has passed the experi- mental stage, and has proven certainty. The same may be said of truck farming, as well as of all other agricultural em- ployments, and there Is no earthly req son why the experienced and intelligent immigrants should not come here. except the plain fact that they are not informed of the advantages Alabama offers. And one great advantage which Alabama has over the Northwest Is that here almost every branch of agricultural and horti- cultural business can be successfully car ried on. It is not like locating in re zion where all efforts must be devoted to two or three crops. at most.
 Another point. which ought to have an important, if not dominating influence with immigrants, who are mostly people of moderate means, is the immense dif- ference in the cost of securing homes. In Illinois, Iowa and some others of the great agricultural States of the North west, land brings from $1OO to $t5O per acre. so that the purchase of even a me- dium sized farm requires an outlay be- yond what any but the rich can afford. In Alabama the case is widely different.
 In some sections of the State lands are high priced and hard to obtain, it is true, but there is no difficulty about purchas-
 ing good farms at prices ranging from s
 to s20 per acre, and these farms are well located, in good neighborhoods and in
 every way desirable A farm in Iowa. for example, will cost from five to ten
 times what it would here, with all our
 advantages of climate. These are facts
 which should be kept before those seek
 ing new homes, whether they come from
 other States or from foreign countries. As we said at the outset, we are not especially advocating the bill of MT.
 Haley. or any bill by any other member
 looking to the same object, but we are
 unequivocany in favor of Alabama talk
 ing the necessary steps to bring good | immigrants into the State. Whatever
 move is best to effect that object The
 Advertiser is ready to endorse and CO., l operate with.