The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-21
Refuse of Southern Eu-
rope to Be Kept Away.
AMERICANS WANTED
Commissioner Patterson States the
Class of People This State Desires.
Will Try TO Induce Home Seek
ers From The North and
Northern Europe.


The North Carolina Department Of
Agriculture has received a commune
cation from the Immigration Restric-
ton League" with headquarters at 60
state street, Boston, relative to the
general movement in the South in re-
gard to immigration, and as this state
has only very recently inaugurated
plan for inducing home-seekers to Eet-s
tie here, the letter and the replies to
it are of peculiar interest. North Car
DINA has stoutly espoused the desire
for agrdrians from only the North and
Northwestern States of America, ana
of the northern countries of Europe,
and it is on record that this State Will
not encourage the immigration of the
worthless people from the decaying
nations of southern Europe, that are
profitable only to the steamship and
land transportation companies.
The president of the Immigration
Restriction League is John f. Moors,
and the secretary is Prescott f. Hall.
The vice presidents. several of whom
are men of national reputation. are
Samuel b. Capen. James r. Dunbar,
George f. Edmunds, Henry Holt, Will
liam Dewitt Hyde, Joseph Lee,
Franklin MacVeigh, Robert Treat
Paine, Henry Parkman. James B. Rey
nolds Nathaniel S. Shaler, and Owen
Wister.
The letter. which is addressed to
Commissioner of Agriculture 5. l..
Patterson, is as follows:
indications are that immigration
for the fiscal year of 1905. ending
June 30th.s,will be about@one million.
or considerably more than ] per cent
of the total population of the United
States Such number exceeds the
population of any Southern. city and
is greater than the population of any
of IL of the United States. Of this
multitude three-fifths will settle IN
four Eastern States. Less than one
tenth will go to the South and West.
"Inasmuch as a scheme for dis
tributing the aliens now landing, as
we'll as the aliens in the slum districts
of our Eastern cities. into the country
districts of the various States is under
consideration, and is being advocated
chieny by transportation agencies. we
feel that it would be of great value
10 learn what are the wishes of your
state at the present time in regard to
the kinds and nationalities of immi-
grants desired. BY far the greater
part of recent immigration has settled
IN the large cities of three or four
Eastern States, increasing the conges-
there. 1t is now proposed to distribute
thousands of just such people through
IN the South and West. Are they the
kind of immigrant labor you want?
Most of them have an inherent aver
SION to country LIE and are i1kely TO
give rise to another difficult race pro-
blem.
This league is not an anti-immi-
grafton Society. 1t was formed in 1894
nv
professional men to make a study of
immigration. Investigation revealed a
startling change in the nature anG
character of immigrants: that there
were among these newcomers many
undesirable; such as paupers eX-con-
victs. persons defective physically,
mentally and morally. tho selection of
whom was left to the profit-malling
cnolce of the steamship companies,
and to foreign nations anxious to get
rid of their social refuse. The bulk
of this new Slavic and Iberic immi-
grafton is averse to country life. has
an indefectible tendency to congregate
in the cities and is unfit to take part
in enlightened democratic govern
ment.''
The Commissioners Reply.
Commissioner Patterson in reply.
stated that further information would
ne gwen by Secretary I. K. Bruner,
who would enclose statistics. The fol-
lowing is taken from Commissioners
Patterson's reply:
Just at this time there is an un-
usual agitation in this State in favor
of immigration of laborers and farm
ere, but our people will forego what
ever advantage might come from i'm
migration of the better class il this
is to be coupled with that of the
scums of the cities.
North Carolina is rather proud of
containing the most homogeneous
population of any State in the Union.
notwithstanding this fact. we want in
dustrious settlers from the New Eng
land and other Northern States. and
from the countries of northern
Europe; but we do not want the un-
desirable elements"
Secretary Rruner. in addition to CIV
ing statistical information, wrote in
Jiy - the leagues communication.
the following:
Your letter has come to me just as
/ am assuming the work of securing
wage labor. tenants and share settlers
for the fields of our State. | am. there
fore. deeply Interested in what you
have written. and on the very thresh-
hold of the undertaking beg to assure
you of my desire to have your assist
ance and guidance in bringing only
such people to this State as will event
ually become part and parcel of our
conservative. honest. patriotic citizen
ship-those who will make for them
selves homes. and aid in the upbuild-
q