The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-20

An important conference was held
Yesterday at the Bureau OF Lnmigra-
ton. the parties to il being Frank p.
Sargent. Commissioners General of I'm
migration, and a delegation OF railroad
men, representing the passenger de-
Dartments OF railways OF the south.
The conference was held for the pur-
pose Of discussing the distribution Of
immigrants The railroad men present
were: A. II. Hanson. Of the Illinois
fentraI: c. l. Stone. OF the Louisville
and Nashville; John AZ RaeIl, OF ST.
Louis. W L. Dasley. Of Nashville: w.
H. Tayloe and NJ. V. Richards. of the
Southern Railway: ". ]. Craig, of the
Atlantic Coast Line: Geo. II. Smith. of
New Orleans: w. L. Glessner. of the
Georgia Southern and Florida. and J.
Georgia oSuthern INK Florida, and j.
w. White of the Seaboard Air Line.
Primarily. the railroad men desired
&c consider with Commissioner Sargent
the distribution through the south Of
Immigrants arriving at the port of New
Orleans. and. if possible, to arrange for
facilities for the handling of a large
number of immigrants at thai port.
Mr.. Sargent told his callers that such
facilities as were necessary woui6 be
provided at New Orleans: that consid-
Grafton already had been given to the
problem of increasing the facilities
there n that the question was in 4
fair way to be worked out satisfactorily.
Commissioner Sargent embraced the
opportunity to outline to his callers his
views regarding the distribution of i'm
migrants not only through the south
but ais through other part of the
United States. He proposes, If con-
gress will give him the power. to estab-
lish at the Ellis Island immigrant sta
ton in New York bay a bureau where
driving immigrants may obtain au-
aen1ic information regarding the pos
si1-iities of employment in all parts OF
the country. Information will be OBJ
tainable at the bureau concerning not
only all sorts of employment which
immigrants are likely to want, but also
concerning the cost of land in the va
rious states, where it is located, and
what it's products are. 1t is Commits
sIoner Sargent's idea that states desir-
ing immigration be invited to make
displays of their products n advan-
tases in the bureau. and. if deemed de-
sirable, to AVE agents at the bureau to
supply the immigrants, under the di-
rection of United states officers, such
detailed data as may be NEEDED,
The commissioner informed his
callers that he hoped by the adoption
OF this plan to break up, to some ex-
tent at least, the alien colonies now
forming in New York and in other large
cities, particularly cites in the east.
He said that he regarded these colonies,
as they are being constituted at pres
ent, as un-American in principle and
dangerous in practice, whereas if the
Immigrants could be distributed some
what evenly through the country and
given reasonable opportunity for en-
ployment their residence in this coun-
try might prove good for them and for
the nation.
The plan, he pointed out necessarily
would have to be under the absolute
supervision of the national government
in order to insure perfect impartia(ity
and strict honesty in dealing with the
immigrants. He Informed his callers
that the government would not sane
ton any advertising by Americans in
Europe for immigration to certain sec
lions. The food of immigration, ne
said, now is heavy enough, the problem
being how properly to distribute the
immigrants who annually are arriving
at FORTS of the United States.
While no definite conclusions were
reached at the conference, the railroad
men expressed their satisfaction with
the suggestions Of Commissioner Sar-
gent and cordially approved Of his
plan. They will lend their aid to secure
the enactment of the necessarily legisia-
ton by congress. MIR. Sargent in
formed his callers he thought the south
afforded excellent opportunities for i'm
Post. December
18th.