The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-09
Address by Commissioner
Watson of S. C.
A SUBSTITUTE BILL
Several interesting Speeches Made
for The Bill and Opposition, and
commissioner of Agriculture
Patterson Gives His
Views.

AT joint meeting of the House and
Senate Committees on immigration
last night a substitute to the bill of
Senator Moore was unanimously re-
ported favorably
The substitutes provides for Il Com
missioner of Immigration whose salary
SHAH De $500; an assistant with a
| salary of $1,000, and $500 for the
| expenses OF the bureau
The report was agreed upon only
after nearly four hours had been ex-
haustcd in long discussions.
Mr. Milton V. Richards, head of a
large railway industrial agency, and
CommlsS oner r. j. Watson, of the
south Carolina Bureau OF Immigra-
ton, were present upon special invi.
tation.
Mr.. Richards spoke first.
Mr.. RlchardS said all the corpora
tons and railways in the State were
interested in this measure. He him.
self had managed the initial immi-
grafton work in the South and at that
time few people We're interested in, the
work, and would barely read the
! literature He explained the methods
Of his work, the many difficulties
necessary to overcome, and the sue
cess that had finally attended his per-
sistent efforts. Each year. however.
the work became less difficult Now
1t is necessary that there be more CO.
operative work. The real estate
agents have assisted materially, and
nave been Of material assistance This
missionary work was done for the en-
tire South for no individual State.
But every State in the South must do
It's individual work It is not pro-
nDSn1 thn
sale of property, that is for real
estate men, but to promulgate the re-
sources and possibilities and advant-
ages of North Carolina. He said
South Carolina a few years ago, was
the least known State inthe South.
but it organized an Immigration de-
partment, placed a man at its head.
and now it is one of the best known
States in the South This movement
is for the best interests Of the State.
and 1t provides for a better foreign
element for the State The men with
ten to thirty thousand dollars to in
vest in farms are desirable but what
the State wants, too. are the masses
of hard working young men who can
be induced TO go on the farms. The
men Of ability and adaptablity, men
who are not satisfied with mediocre
conditions but who will save, and in
time own their farms, and progress.
anu mus make I11S state progress.
What can be done with the thriftlcss.
vagrant class that long idle about the
farms and factories? They cannot
advance the agricultural interests of
the State, so there must be those in
dustrious people who have the will
and ability to work, and will become
part and parcel Of the State. Then
the towns will be thrifty, the cOun-
try with good farms the State pros
porous and its institutions beautiful.
A nucleus must be made here around
which to draw the class of foreign
ers desired. From the Northwest
get the Americanized foreigners, and
settle them here. and they will per-
suade their relatives to come here
This work is no experiment; thous-
ands of practical examples have been
made, it has been thoroughly tested,
and is a success. The intrinsic value
Of the land OF tho State is more than
the commercial value, and those who
settle here will never be disappointed,
and If North Carolina wants these
people it can get them. I'm cOnclu-
sion, Mr. Richards said North Caro-
lina's Department of Agriculture had
accomplished immense good, and was
prominenty known throughout the
United States.
Commissioner Watson, Of the South
Carolina BurCau of Immigra ton, said
South today IS one that involves
economic problems, upon which the
very salvation Of the South depends.
And the question is such that does not
require the South to fight her bat
ties alOne. There has been too much
talk about what might be done, and
nothing was attempted. The time has
come when the South Atlantic States
must put shoulder to shoulder and
work together. The negroes in the
South are availing themselves of ed
ucation, are qualifying themselves for
the suffrage and are disqualifying
themselves for farm work. In North
Carolina there is So per cent of it's
population composed of negroes, and
this State has IL per cent of the en-
tire blacks of the country. In the
State there are 1880 negroes who
own fee simple their farms. In
North Carolina there is total farm
acreage of 2,500,000, and a tremend
one per cent is not TILED
and it has a 100000 acreage
in cotton, and $4,000 acres in
tobacco, tn next largest crop. 1t is
absolutely necessary TO bring IN small
farmers who can do something TO
bring into use the land not under
tillage. The South Carolina Depart
ment is bending it's efforts to train its
HILLS diltS oil IAtlcIlSltlSu IAiSNiiCNS
with diversified crops The INN grants |
are being put on the best positions on
the farms, although large numbers of
them wish to buy small farms, as they
nearly all possess some money.
number of farms in South Carolinab
have been sold, and pamphlets con
tanning descriptions Of the farms of
the State have been issued, and there |
arc $4,000 acres now ready for sale.
The South Carolina bureau brings Il |
few OF its immigrants from foreign
countries, and those which are foreign |
come from Northern Europe The /
United States immigration bureau |
when il started, it's first year, brought |
TO this country 5000 foreigners, and
now it has increased to !. 100000 am
nually
A bureau for this State is pro-
tectiVe measure. The United states
government is likely TO take hand
III turning the tide Southwark. The
States that have the less per cent of
population are the States that have
the greatest per cent of uncultivated
land North Carolina has lost S2a