The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-13
Ghs Wrssrn9er.
IMM1GRATToN TO THE SOUTH.

AL1ON ~ 44LG
The south has of late begun to pay
more attention to the matter Of mini
grafton. This has been forced upon the
people Of our section by growing SCARF
ity OF lahcr. Ali along we have depend
ed upon the g for farm work and
all classes of unskilled labor and -or
a great deal that Is to be classed above
what is generally classed as unskliled.
This labor Of late has been growing
scarcer and scarcer each year until 1t
has become a serious question with us.
We have been too short-sighted in
this matter. w: should years ago
have turned our attention to the task
OF inducing a desirable class of immi-
grams to come this way. We have
seen the north and the west swallow up
the thousands of hardy peasants from
Europe who annually flock to our shores
d~esirous to secure homes for their fam
lilies and profitable work. All this time
VI have had valuable farming lands
lying idle. waiting for tillers. Garden
spots in the trucking districts have been
allowed to lie idle year after year.
Lands which required only the clearing
AMI the proper preparation to MAKE
productive farms nave been allowed
year after year TO remain idle and un.
productive, while thousands of sturdy
men from the old country have annu-
ally landed at or chief seaports md
passed us by on TIE long journey to the
far west in search of homes, while we
had them awaiting them here-all be-
cause we have not realized the impor-
tanCe of securing our share OF his class
Of immigrants or, realizing it, have not
exerted ourselves for the purpose Of Sc
curing il.
Even had there not of late come
about such a scarcity of native labor We
would have greatly benefited by it had
we taken steps to add to what labo.
we then had h other for building VI
the a. places by a desirable class
Of immigrants.
The south is awakening to its
conditions; but are we of this section
of the south doing our duty to our
selves or to our posterity? Further *
the south the people not only recognize
present conditions and future advan-
tages to be derived from immigration
but they are taking steps to improve
present defective conditions by estab.
fishing a system of immigration for the
benefit of their section. The men u
the far south have aiken hold of thi:
matter in earnest. New Orleans is t.
be made the central station for a bis
immigration movement to the south
What good will that be to us of thi.
section? The immigrants landing il
that city will seek homes as far iron
us as do those nov reaching u shore;
through the ports Of New York, Bostol
or Philadelphia. Immigrants landing
in New Orleans wall hardly find Ihei
way to the Carolinas. They will fine
settlement on farms and in factor
towns long before they reach our states
If the current of immigration is divid
ed between the ports of the far nortl
and Of the extreme south we will b
no better off han we were before.
What we want and what we mus
have if we are to profit by the tide O
immigration to this country is a 10Y
ment-a serious, effective movement
on the part Of the people of the soutl
Atlantic states to turn a part of tn
immigration this way. If we Deepen
On New Orleans sending such aid to u
we will find our position unchanga &C
The north and the northwest hav
worked against us in this matter. w
will find that the far south n IN
southwest will do the same. If we ar
going to secure immigration for OUR sec
ton we have got to work for it. Meth
er the north nor the south will 90
after our interests in this matter.