The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-04-21
THE LAsoa QUESTION.
Letter From Hon. j. n. c. Beverley
on This Far-reaohins Subieet-He
Makes Valuable Suggestions Well
Worthy Of Serious Consideration.

on This Far-reaohins SubIect-He
Makes Valuable Suggestions Well
Worthy Of Serious Consideration.
Chance, Essex Co Va, April Is, 1904
70 The Free Lance;
Referring to editorial in your issue ol
l4th. under caption, What the South
Needle. your reference TO scarceness ana
inetRciency al farm labor and suggeslln
securing desirable immigrants 10y rutiicl
entity advertising our resources ana al
vantages il most pertinent
believe negro labor, as IL was bei'r'
beinp ruined, the beet farm labor tht
south will ever have, but that Is = thing
4 the past, and the property owners ol
the South are to blame Tor THIS. We
have paral, aed his muscle by poisoning
mis- brain. Virginia has become practl
ally the incubator. brOOder and winter
feeding ground for the negro When hr
has brc0me aedged he takes his Hight VI
the spring To regions where he lagcts le
has better opportunity 10 live by ne
wits. always returning Ia hls leedinp
GROUND la the winter Now thus ~ To-
the remedy. | believe IL must come
through two classes Of immigrants.
l. Those with means tn buy small
farms. thus reducing the acreage owned
Nv one man and worked by hired labor
Those without means, who VIII
i've as hired lAborers The first class II
10 he secured principally from the West
and Northwest. The a,eond, from for
eien Importation Neither class Oi ther,
,eople will find their way blindly To Viz.
ginia. Our resources aud advantage
must he placed before them.
70 THE end the Executive Commit"
Of State Board Ol Agriculture, the rcpre
sentatiyes Of the railroads aud the rep
resentatiyes OF Virginia Real Estate As
.nciation. hell "A conference IN Richmond
in February and formulated a plan ui co
,peration for advertising Nirginias re
sources and canvsssiag the West and
Northwest. distributing literature, etc
in order TO accomplish this we asked tn
Legislature for an appropriation 81
g.. 900 tn aecist US The writer, repre-
-enting the State Board of Agriculture
and several other gentlemen went bti re
the Finspce Committee Of the House ana
asked that this amount be placed at IN
iispusAl of the Board of Agriculture Tor
this purpose We were unable To impress
the committee with the Importance oi
the measure. IL failed The Board OF
Agriculture il doing what It can with
limited resources To advertise and secure
settlers. but the plan of cooperation,
above referred 70. | believe wouid have
proven very Elective.
Now as 10 securing foreign immigrants
There was introduced in the L. ;. Senate
his session. through the L. \ IOmmls
.ioner General OF immigration, "A bill
Senate bill ais, which | send you
which think would be ui great assls
lance in securing immigrant labor II
provides for the establishment at Etlis
Island. in New York of "a bureau OF inior
nation. Each State is allowed TO keep
"a agent there. who il 10 furnish immi.
grants with all necessary information as
10 resources. climate, wages, demand r
services, etc,
II such q bureau il established any
community wanting such labor could
combine and place with their state agent
Information as TO number, etc character
Of immigrants wanted. wages TO be paid
etc wrote officially 10 both oi our
senators. asking their support Tor thir
dill: neither have favored me with re-
DIV. Ii ia Encouraging TO be obliged 10
make effort for these public measures
through such irrespOnsive channels
Now as 10 complaint Of low wage
uaid farm labor in the south, made by
Italian agent. mentioned in your issue 81
18th. think IL will be found on inves'
tigatiOn this il more apparent than real
believe for the quality OF labor we pay
in the South high wages. Most OF the
ervire rendered Ia the South by farm
iabor would not be tolerated IN the North
and Northwest at any price II you will
estimate the cost OF work by the price
you will find that our day wages Tor the
service rendered is high. Figure on your
corn cutting or husking by shock or bar
rel. sheep sheariDg by head, etc and you
will lind we are paying more az our ap-
parent low day wages than 10 paid tof
similar service in the North or West.
rhe farmers of the South will gladly pay
mure for more efficient labor Every
iarmer knows il il cheaper 10 pay two
efficient lhb0rers the wages three inn
sIeut ones receive. Let the foreigner
come in and demonstrate his efficiency
and bis wage will adjust itself Then
again, while the 5Outh's wages seem low.
considering the cheaper living, milder
Innate, etc the laborer can save NOR
than IN the North or West. And again on
account Of cheap land n proyident wage
rarner can become u landowner sooner
n the South than anywhere In the
United States. Considering these things
he wage Garner il better of In the South
than ia any other section. All we need
~ 20 have the advantages and resources
4 the South advertised; at present our
Eight II bid under n bushel
so far ~ the road question, "a referred
70 in your issue, IL concerned, do not
think we will ever have good roads until
the people are induced To submit To more
taxation for this purpose and the money
thus raised IL spent on the roads.
j. II & Beverley,
President State Board Agriculture.