The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-29
LABOR QUESTION
BEFORE | ! BOARD ] D RI
immigration Discussed by the,
State Board Of Agrb
culture.
R. BRYAN BEFORE BODY
Farmers Must Steak Relief From
the Existing Con-
ditions.

The state Board OF Agriculture met
nero yesterday and Samong other import
ant matters discussed tho immigration
question, problem which the body has
4 been Mt work upon for some time. The
Immigration Committed, of which Mr..
j. II. C. Beverley is chairman. held
meeting here last winter to outline
plan Of work. and now the railroads and
the real estate men are lending their
cooperation in aiding tho board in the
work 1t Is undertaking.
The members present yesterday were
President j. II. G, Beverley and Messrs
Julian NJ. Ruffin. j. Thomas Goode. j.
M Barker. John T. Cowan. G. w. Heat
or, w. II. Eggborn. j. S. Goodwin, w,
/. 81 r.. sLeech and DR.. j. NJ. NicBryde.
Mr.. Joseph Bryan introduced to the
board Mr.. Luigi Grnma ticn, the immi-s
grafton representative of the Old Do
minion Steamship Company: II. B.
Walker, the New York representative OF
the steamship company; Mayor Me-
Carthy and Squire Donati, tho latter
acting as interpreter, as Mr.. Gramatica
speaks very little English Mr.. La
Bnume, Of the Norfolk and Western
Railroad, also appeared before the board
In regard to the immigration natter.
Mr.. Bryan said that since acquiring
some farm lands In Gloucester county
he had found that the people in that
section were making efforts to secure
Italians as emlgrants Mr.. Gramatica.
lie said. represented the Old Dominion
Steamship Company in Italy, and was
doing Immigration work for them In that.
country. 8 $a.
Going to Other States.
Mr.. Walker of the Steamship Com.
pany, said that PENNSYLVANIA and Ohio
were getting large proportion OF these
Italian Immigrants. because they were
making efforts to get them. These
States had their agents in; New \ ork.
Mr., Grammatical sent into Brazil last year
twenty thousand Italians. All that these
Italians wanted was work. They had
been raised to work. The children
worked from the time they were ten
years of age. The women worked as
much as the men. and even worked IN
the fields. To secure these immigrants
some provision had to be made for them
upon arrival.
| that he could not get along with the
negro labor. His nelghbors In Glouces-
ter experienced tho same difficulty. He
| said that unless the labor question was
settled In that section, farming would
! have to cease. Mr.. Beverley, who Is
from Essex. said that his county was
suffering as much In that respect as
Gloucester. Mr.. Ruffin, of Hanover,
said this condition Of affairs had existed
SO long in his county that the people
| had become used to 1t, and 1t had almost
ceased to be matter Of comment with
| them.
Meeting in Gloucester.
Mr. Bryan said that next Monday he
| was going to can meeting at his Glouces-
| ter place of all the men In that county
who we're. Interested in lettering the
condition Of affairs In regard to the
| labor question. Mr.. Walker and Mr..
| Gramatica would be present at that
meeting. The latter was prepared to
| send over here italian families TO any
| who wished them. They would be good,
abe-bodied, responsible people. Any one
! wishing to engage these Italians VIII
| have to pay for their passage to this
| country, which amounts to thirty dollars
for each person brought over. The money
SO expended will be returned out Of the
! wages of the man and his family after
| they arrive The person who employs
| them will have to provide a small house
! to shelter them. The Italians will bring
their own furniture. for 1t had been found
| cheaper to do this. Iheys WOuld llnIHS-
diatcly go to work, the men to receive
| eighteen dollars a month and the women
something less.
Mr.. La Baunlc also discussed the immi-
grafton question:. and told what his road
\ was doing in the matter
DR. McBryde submitted q, report from
| Professor Thomas L Watson. geologlst
in charge Of the survey work Consid-
cradle progress has been made N this
| nj RI n