The Topeka state journal., 1905-03-18
IMMIGRATION IN KANSAS.

( the Sunhower State and the immense
crops that have been produced by
Kansas farms during recent years, the
population of the state should have
increased $4,000 or 100000 every
year since 1900. Instead of that many
counties have actually gone back
wards, not holding even the natural
increase which comes from births, to
say nothing of that which should
come from immigration.
During the year 1903, for instance,
the only portions of KansaE which
really increased in population were
the oil and gas belt and the wheat
belt, including the western counties.
Most of the other counties actually
lost in population. An analysis of the
population figures as returned by the
/ township assessors shows this. and
even the western wheat belt counties
have not grown as they should have
done.
In the northeastern part of the
state the only counties which show an
increase are jackson and Jefferson.
The former gained nearly 1000. which
is a good increase. The gain in
Jefferson was only $50. which is not
more than it should have been from
the natural increase in births, leaving
out the gain from immigration. Every
other county in the First congress
sional district showed a loss in popu-
lation, ranging from 900 each in Doni-
phan and Leavenworth down to 25
loss in Shawnee. This same condition
extends into the Fifth district. Not
county in the northern tier-the big
Kansas corn cOunties-gained in pop
ulation east of Republic. Dickinson,
Geary Marshall, Ottawa, and Wash
ington all showed actual losses. and
the others which made slight gains
were not as large as they should have
been. Saline made the best showing,
800.
In the Second district the gain was
confined chiefly to Allen county,
where natural gas helped out, and
Wyandotte county. where Kansas City.
KAN, made a metropolitan growth.
The gain in Wyandotte county was
5000 and in Allen county it was 1000
Three other counties showed small
gains, and four showed actual losses.
In the Fourth district five counties
showed actual losses and the other
five made small gains, but the ten
counties showed a net loss. The Third
district. of course, made a healthy
growth, owing principally to the gas
development and the manufacturing
industries which it brought into the
state. Montgomery county alone
gained over 1900.
The new Eighth district lost in popu-
lation, Notwithstanding the city of
Wichita made a considerable growth
The loss in the country was sufficient
to Offset the city growth.
The northwestern part of the state
has been fairly well advertised in the
past two years, and every county in
f1a fr7r oh fof,
growth except Mitchell. In the Seventh
district also most of the counties made
gains.
This analysis shows that the farming
communities of eastern Kansas actual
ly lost large number of people, where
the natural advantages should have
caused a considerable increase. The only
considerable gains in eastern Kansas
were made in the cities and in manu-
featuring communities. Even some of
the cities did not grow as they should
have done. In the west the farms at
tracted a new population, and it was
doubtless due the advertising given the
Kansas wheat belt.
The lesson of it is that Kansas as a
whole is not advertised as it should be
among the people that will be attract
ed by the agricultural resources of Kan
sas. Now and then some community
puts forth an extra effort and it is am
ply rewarded by an influx Of newcom-
ers. The growth in western Kansas is
due to a considerable extent to people !
from eastern Kansas going out there
to secure cheap lands. This is all right, |
but eastern Kansas should bring in not
only enough to make good the loss but
many others beside. And western Kan
sas does not grow as its resources and
crops warrant.
Oklahoma is growing at the rate of
Sc, 900 to 75, 600 people a year. It is done
largely by the railroads setting before
the people of other states the advan-
tages of that section. California has a
state promotion committee which |
spends a large amount of money in |
advertising that state in the east Be |
sides that every board of county super |
visors is given the power to spend pub |
lie funds in advertising, and every COM |
mercial club and board of trade in the |
state spends large amounts in advertis- |
ing their particular sections. In Col |
orado there is an organization of 600
business men designed specially to ad-
vertise Colorado in the east
What Kansas needs is more adver-
tising of the right sort-not the kind |
that she sometimes gets, but facts /
about her agricultural and other re- /
sources. During the past few weeks /
the newspapers of the nation have ad- |
vertised Kansas because of her fight !
on the oil trust, but that is not the /
kind that viii attract home-seekers. A /
few commercial clubs in the larger /
cities try to land business enterprises /
for their particular towns. but too fire.
quently they work against one another. /
The railroads are doing almost nothing /
to induce immigration into Kansas,
while they are putting forth great ef-
forts in behalf OF the southwest and |