Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-25

for other purposes, that was referred
to the Committee on immigration and
Naturalization.
What Bill Authorized.
This bill directed tho Commissioners.
General oil Immigration to establish II
bureau al information ut Ellis Island
The Immigrant landing station at New
York. i'll which immigrants should he
furnished with oral AMI printed advice
as To the resources, products AMI plysi.
cal characteristics of each State and
territory and all other Information of
interest to intending settlers. 1t also
authorized each State and Territory To
appoint and maintain at Ellis Island
agents Tor the purpose Of furnishing
such information and Offering such In
duccmcnts as they may have to pre-
sent, subject to the rules and regula-
lions OF the Commissioner-Gencra OF
Immigration.
This bill. which unfortunately failed
TO pass the Congress at its last session.
should receive the warm support not
only OF the representatives Of the
Southern States, but Of the whole coun.
try, and the admirable plan recon-.
mendcd by tho ommissioner.Gen eral
OF immigration should he systcmactic-
ally carried out by the fullest and most
active cooperation of all the States.
The Southern States would he mate.
rally aided In securing The settlers and
laborcrs they require from among
| thcac able-bodied workers through the
establishment and maintenance 81
agencies in the bureau: or information
for the dissemination of the fullest in
formation regarding conditions Of eli.
mate and soil, and opportunities of all
kinds in the various districts and sec
Lions OF the South. This appears pnr-
ticillariy desirable in view of the fact
that Northwestern Canada is now Mt
| tracing the immigration Of American
farmers to the exclusion of tho South
crn States.
Extent of Opportunities.
AS to the extent of the opportuni-
ties open to the industrious immigra-
ton settler In the South, | quote the
following remarks made by the Hon.
! Wyatt Aiken, of South Carolina, tho
author of the bill for the establish.
ment of an information bureau at Ellis
| Island:
THE land area of the South Mr..
Aiken stated, is 5S5.310,00O acres. In
| 1900 tho total farm acreage was aS7,-
GJ0i26 acres. The total improved
acreage was only 1878, 500. This
leaves about 242,OO0,Oo0 acres of farm
lands to be put into profitable cultiva-
| ton. The unimproved farmlands of
the South give greater area for set.
tiemcnt and cultivation than the total
area OF Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas
combined. Oyer 100.00O,000 of this land
lies east of the Mississippi river, and
there Is comparatively Il small amount
of it Which Is not available for crops OF
some kind
| The ocean transportation companies
have no control over immigration, and,
contrary to tho opinion frequently cx-
pressed, they have no power to induce
of influence immigration to any apprc.
ciahlc extent immigration Is melted
solely by economic conditions, hence 1t
is an unfailing economic barometer
When business conditions arc flourish
ing In this country the column rises.
ana the numbers of immigrants mount
into the hundreds of thousand; but
when period of falling prices and re.
strictcd production approaches i'm tho
! United States the column of immlgra-
ton falls rapidly.
| The Necessary Conditions.
IT is, therefore, necessary that the
l coHthSi ~ STATUE, III uCSlTDllS oil inducing
a productive flow of willing immigrants
and industrious settlers. shonld create
.such conditions rs will render the op-
portunity for employment and produc-
ton remuncrativc and life attractive.
| TO that end 1t would, In my opinion,
be desirable to provide for. the enact
ment of uniform labor laws, safeguard,
ing child and ifcmalc-lalor, and fixing
| hours of employment for such Tailor
Some of the Southern States, believe,
have adopted laws of this character
sufficiently protecting the immigrant
whose unfamiliarty with our language,
laws and customs easily render him n
victim Of designing and INSCRIPTIONS
employers.
! Excepting in mind the lack of knowl.
i edge of our conditions which the alien
Immigrant displays, It would lie ncces-
sars In furnishing bin with the irlfor.
nation on the subject of the Character
Continued on Eighth Pago.)