The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-04-13
MIR. WATSON TALKS.
The Commissioner Of immigration
Tells New York Paper
OF NEW STATE DEPARTMENT.

Commissioner W arson Makes State
ment Of What he Hopes to
Accomplish in Bringing
White Labor Here.
By an act OF the South Carolina
legislature which went into effect or
Feb. 2e there was created in the State
a department Of agriculture, com
merce and immigration. E. J. Wat
son Of Columbia, a representative OF
the new generation Of energetic young
business men who are the lmpelling
force back of the recent awakening OF
southern industries and Commercial!
activity, has been selected by Gov.
Eeyward as the first commissioner OF
the new department..
Mr.. Watson has been IN New York
for several days on business connected
with his Office. This summer he will
make a trip to Denmark, Norway,
Sweden and Germany, with view
to presenting the advantages OF South
Carolina as a field for the desirable
class Of immigrants wEo come from
those countries. Speaking Wednes.
day Of bis visit to New York and OF
the circumstances which led to the
creation Of the department Of which
he is the head Mr.. Watson said:
MY presence in New York at this
time is due to the new conditions that
have arisen il the middle south, and
it is no unmeaning erran6 considered
in the light Of the DEVELOPMENT OF the
country. The rapid development Of
southern manufacturing and the COZ
sequent robbing Of the fields Of the
white tenant farmer class, the demon
stration given to the world last fall OF
the dependency Of its cotton manu-
featuring interests on the south for
raw material not alone in this coun-
try but abroad-theSe and the ten
dency Of the negro to move to the
centres Of population and thence to
the east are the three essentials to be
considered.
''It is perhaps strange and yet rot
unexpected condition that the very
rapid development Of the uanufac-
turing industry of the south-particu-
larly in my State should result in in
jury to agricultural interests. The
explanation, however, is easy. When
we went ahead and put nearly s40,-
OOo,0 900 into cotton mills, which could
only be operated with white labor for
reasons it is not necessary to discuss,
we simply robbed our fields Of the
white tenant farmer class and left
the agricultural interests in such a
condition as to demand the attention
Of the State government. Then came
a move OF Sully and Brown which has
revealed to the whole cotton manu-
featuring world its dependency upon
the cotton growing states OF this
country, accentuating the acuteness
OF a situation already seen and realiz-
ed. The farmers Jared well and they
have pre6ited. Now they realize
their power and their opportunity,
but they find themselves without the
necessary labor, and intelligent labor
they must have. They consequently
want something and want it quickly
Another phase Of this situation is
the negro question. Our farmers have
always had plenty Of negro labor on
their places. Today they are crying
for labor with which to work their
crops. Having lost the white tenant
farmer for the reasons assigned, they
have suffered the additional partial
loss Of the negro farm laborer. This is
due to the fact that the negro's ten,
dency, in our State at least, in the
last few years has been, first, to seek
the larger centres Of population anc
commerce. 10 the cities he finds him
self poorly clad, irregularly and III fec
and a natural victim Of immortality
the consequent sufferer from disease
which tend to balance the death anc
birth rate. Again, bis tendency is tx
seek railroad construction camps anc
TO move north and east. The exempll
fcation Of this can be most strlking!!
found in Washington and Baltimore
and even here in New York, the in
crease in the negro population in th'
two first name cities having beer
reached in the last two or three years
All OF these things have combined
together with the appearance OF th
boil weeyill in Texas, to awaken th
agricultural interests Of the South to;
realization Of the fact that something
must be done. The great need is whit
settlers from this country and abroad
NV State has seen the situation, an
that is why am here. Our farmer
know that the boil weevil, unless a.
insect to destroy him is discovered,
likely to cross the Mississippi at an
moment and do what Sully had don
this year, with the additional featur
that the effect on prices will be pei
manent. They know that if the weeV
does come prices will remain high, an
that the danger Of the pest is an ele
ment in the situation. Tley reallz
that they want diversified and inter
siied farming. and, knowing tbs
they have succeeded in establishing
near the heart Of the State, dlVerslt
cation farm No. ], by the federal goy
ernmant, under the boil Weevil appre
priation.
Further, knowing the need Of in
telligent labor, the State has estat
lished it's department. Of agriculture
commerce and immigration, at th
head Of which / have been placed fo
four years, with the view OF inducin
desirable investments and settler
from north European and America
points to come to South Carolina-tE
real garden spot of the world, posses
coil onS clinnare pr00ucing son