The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-06
IMMIGRATION
REPRESENTATIVES, WIS.,
 ITS NORTH CAROLINA CAPITAL.
Talks of Plans that Are Working Sue cessfully-Questfon of Laborers and Homeseekers-H0w the
 Railroads Look Ahead.

Raleigh Post.
 Frank V. Evans of Birmingham rep resentig the Immigration and Industrial Association of Alabama, was in Raleigh yesterday and was a visitor at the Capi- tol.
 The association of which MT. Evans Is q representative was organised June 1st by the nine railroads which enter Alabama and these railroad companies sioner. Hon. Ross c. Smith. whose head quarters are at Birmingham and who has a corps of assistants.
 Asked concerning the plans and pur- poses of the association. Mir. Evans yes- terday said to a representative of The Post:
 '"The railroad companies which enter Alabama with their lines. seeing the pressing necessity for encouraging i'm migration to our State. and the long delay or absolute failure of the Legis- iature thus far to provide appfopria- tions to meet the demand, determined to make a united and vigorous effort in this behalf and to that end organised the association. appropriated funds from their own treasuries for the con- duct of the work. and have thus entered upon this line of industrial develop ment
 Alabama q Rich State.
 Alabama, as you know" continued Mir Evans, 'fs rich in natural resources, and while the growth and development of the State has been very great during the past decade. that growth has not been half so rapid. as natural condf- tions would have permitted had more men and money accepted the broad in- vitations extended by the splendid cli- mate, the rich soil, the great forests and the inexhaustible stores of iron. coal and other minerals which as yet lie un- touched in our State.
 To-day but one problem confronts Alabama and that Is the labor question. There is no race issue. Politically and socially, the State is at perfect peace and will so continue to be.
 But Che Problem.
 "The so-calied public works'--the mines, furnaces, lumber mills and rail- road contractors have so much absorbed the negro labor as to absolutely rob the farms; and today there are more than f0,000,000 acres of tillabie land In Alabama not in cultivation; and yet the mines, iron furnaces and other public works are by no means supplied with sufficient labor.
 Tt is not the purpose of this asso- citation to eliminate the negro from the field of labor in Alabama. but rather to stimulate him by example of sturdy white men or force him to his native elernent-the cotton and corn fields of the State. The attractive features which draw the negro to the mines and workshops of the mineral districts are: Good per diem promptly paid in cash. close proximity to town or city life. The average Alabama negro lives for a week on the product of two or three days of his labor-in the mines or fur naces and the other three he rests. loafs and lounges. Therefore 1t requires the services of one thousand of them to accomplish the work of five hundred. Tine negro as a whole. Is improvident. He cannot be forced to work nor to save,
 "The experience with the operators of mines, furnaces, etc. in Alabama Is that their white laborers, most of whom have come as immigrants from foreign countries, work regularly. save care fully. and are rapidly accommodating. So well pleased are the companies with this latter class that am sure we could find ready places for 5000 in the min eral district of Alabama on one days notice that we could furnish them. Encouragement ORered. "And this is not all.' continued MT. Evans. Alabama offers encouragement | to the white homeseekers from foreign lands by illustration and absolute dem-