The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-02
ITALIAN IMMIGRATION.
Something in Which the South is
 Greatly Interested.


 pr. Wyeth sends The Advertiser the following letter which Is on a subject Of vast importance to Alabamians and the people of the South generally. He old State. although he has achieved success and fortune in another section:
 r,. sseilagis, seiltS Italy; Aug; 10, 1904; will never reap the full harvest of prosperity until the problem of labor shall have been successfully solved.
 The solution is by immigration and upon the judicious selection of the inn migrant best suited to the climatic and other conditions of that section will depend the success of this effort.
 Without disparagement. of the better class of negro workers the negro race can not furnish In quantity or quality labor equal to the fullest development of the agricultural or mineral re-
 The question naturally arises. Where can the best labor be found?" In my opinion 1t will come from this country and chiefly from northern and Central Italy. With the desire to study this matter I have for the past month travelled leisurely from the Neapolitan section in the south to the central and northern districts.
 The Sicilian and Neapolitan natives In general are not desirable additions to our population, They are small in stature and brain, and low in morals. They furnish our cities now with or
 
 beggars and in their own land they present the sad and depressing specta- cle of a filthy, depraved and dishonest people. As such they are known by their own. for an Italian of the Ro- man. Lombard or Piedmont districts takes no pains to conceal his contempt for his southern brother.
 As to the natives of the Campagna in the Roman district, and especially of the rich farming sections of L)m- bardy and Piedmont I should select They are industrious. sober and affable. I do not recall having seen a drunken person, and their politeness is proverb- ial. The greater number are farn la large-ianded proprietorships which prevails they are very poor. They are overcrowded and no doubt would re- spond to judicious and tactful effort to secure them s immigrants. More over, they are excellent farmers. have yet to see any portion of the earth made to yield such crops or pre- sent a more beautiful agricultural pie south of Milan. No wonder that Bona parte's soldiers won the Italian cam paign when, after years of starvation and al n;u,l misery he took them to the and fertile vista said, Soldiers. the rich plans of Lombardy await you"
 All through this section there are vast fields of wheat, oats and corns and various grasses and forage crops. The climate does not materially differ from ours of middle ana Northern Ala bama and our cotton is the only im- portant crop in which they now re- quire much instruction. As for la borers in our mines and public works they should do equally we'll.
 There remains, in my opinion. noth- ing to solve this problem but intell1- gent organization and the tactful con- scientious. and humane conduct Of the plan adopted. As Tn all enterprises the earlier stages should be most eau tiousfy managed for it is diff1cult to overcome the bad effects of an initial blunder.
 The overcrowded condition of this country is apparent on every ham and the dificulty of sustatnlne life Is evi: dent when one sees the thousands of miles of stone walls with which the hill and mountain sides are terraced 10 their highest points where a wagon load of earth may be retained and made productive.