The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-22
PREMIuMs on IMMIGRATION.

WASHINGTON, April n.-SOuth Carolina
makes a definite encouragement OF her de-
sire TO increase her population by an inpu1
Of immigrants. Only about one-thirq OF
her nearly O,OOO, 900 acres h olassed ~ linz
proved farming land. A permanent once
has been opened In New York, and hye OF
six special agents are 70 visit Northern
Europe for the purpose Of sending settlers
70 ne Palmetto State. But South caro-.
lima wants the cream and not the SCUM OF
the European emlgrants. In that depart
ment she will encounter competition. AZ
Is only our larger cities that appear az all
willing TO tolerate the undeSirables.
Our neiRhbor on the north u an active
competitor for the cream Of the arrivals
and has no more use for the SCUM than
South Carolina has. The Toroato Gioos
recently announced that Mr. William Whyte'
second vice-president Of the Canadian
Pacific, has for several months had under
consideration "a proposition for the SUD
sididng Of British immigrants on sohene
Of big proportions. II is proposed that the
railway company build houses and farm
buildings on lands which II sells 70 British
immigrants, allowing them TO pay for the
improvements, the same as the land, on
long annual instalments. IT u urged that
foreign immigrants settling In colonies are
In a position TO receive, and do receive,
assistance whenever It may be found neo-
essary, but that Bdtishers must strike out
Alone
This is IN line with the now smal but
important work being done by the SALIVA
ton Army, as stated q few days ago oy
Commander Booth Tuoker
Last year tas salvation Army carried 1000 per.
sons nom England 70 Canada, which IL starving Tor
| population. We carried them In our own snip
Il will not be long before We Will be carrying Eng
| llshmen, not by thousands, but By tens OF thou-
| sands, not only 70 Canada, but 70 New HeeAAna'
Australia, India and South Africa.
We didn't dump our immigrants In Quebec - me
| United StAtea dumps Immigrants In Euh hlana'
but dropped six here and eight there, and dozen
In another place. wherever they were needed.
Every man who leI England for Canada Knew
before he started where be was going, what he wa
going 70 do when he got there, and what wages
be would receive,
The final paragraph OF this touches the
pith Of the entire immigration problem, as
does the scheme Of the Canadian Pacific
and the proposal Of South Carolina That
Is, a system Of distribution which viii scatter
arrivals in small groups throughout the
country, instead Of leaving them to gather
In huge and dangerous masses In Few
cities and industrial centres. To accom-
plish this end effectively, these various In
terests propose to provide places to which
the immigrants can go, and also 70 proVioe
means for getting them there.
Exclusion, restriction OF numbers ana
compulsory settlement In rural areas are
alike Objectionable and dihicult OF execu-
ton. All may be avoided by opening the
gates Of opportunity TO the scores OF thou
sands who would gladly 60 TO homes In
the country II they knew just where to 90
In a new and strange land, and has the
means 10 get there.
A few days ago the Washington Post In
dulged in editorial comment on plan
suggested In TIE Sun, that there be created
a diffusion fund, derived from an increase
in the head tax now imposed on immigrants
The Post pronounced the idea ultrapaternal
and calculated to do for undesirable immi-
grants that which we would not do for oui
own people. The fact u that We are doing
very much that same thing by reclamation
officially conducted and executed, OF some
50 900 900 acres Of arid and worthless landi
10 be sold In small parcels TO actual ocCu'
pants. Moreover, the Post missed the
essential feature Of the proposal, which
was not so much philanthropio as 1t wal
selfish. At the very heart Of the imml'
grafton problem, more serious this veal
than ever before, Is the matter Of pro
lection for ourselves against the evils which
may at any time spring from the herdinl
Of an ignorant mass in vast columns In oul
cities. Their distribution IL little shor
Of imperative IN our own interest. The
Post overlooked this feature.
The Salvation Army, the Canadian Pa
oiao Railway and the State Of South Caro-
lima are seeking solution Of the difhculty.