The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-08-11
T0bRNG BETTER
IMMIGRANTS
To FLORIDA
Jacksonville Board Of Trade Will
Petition LEGISLATURE to Estah-
liSe FL. Il 2'Waau.
,aiaSEN

eOard or trade VIII memONallZe Tie
legislature asking the establishment OF
d Florida bureau of immigration and
the taking of steps to determine
whether or not an association can be
formed among the southern states for
cooperative work along this line.
This was the action taken yesterday
afternoon at an enthusiastic and well
attended meeting of the board OF
trade. The resolution, the object OF
which is given above, was offered by
Mr. Edwin Brobston and was passed
without a dissenting vote.
1t was the sentiment of the board of
trade that the labor questions that
have been raised in the state recent
ly can only be settled when a better
class of workmen are secured, and
when some method is hit upon that
will free employers in Florida from
being compelled to take from the Ia
Dor bureaus of New York and Philadel-
phia the nomadic, shiftless characters
that have been sent to this section
recently.
Those Peonage Cases.
In bringing the immigration ques-
ton before the board of trade, Mr..
Brobston called attention to the recent
peonage cases and the stories told by
those who allege that they were held
iii involuntary service and brutal
treatment.
Their stories have been widely cir
culated in New York, and in addition
o the stories told before the United
States commissioner at Jacksonville
and at Pensacola, narrowing tales
have been told in New York by labor.
ers claiming to have escaped" after
much difficulty, from conditions that
were uncomfortable. All of the stories
had been printed, with large head
| lines and through the various newspa-
pers, widely circulated throughout the
north and east
That these tales are injuring Flori-
da was shown by the fact that Mr..
Brobston received letter, which he
submitted to the board yesterday,
from a friend and business associate,
who stated that the stories had been
50 generally circulated in New, York
that 1t was hard to find immigrants
| for work in the turpentine camps, saw
mills, etc.
Some Stories Exaggerated.
The writer of the letter stated that
he was convinced that the stories were
either the unauthorized products of
the imagination, or had been grossly
| - %l,>
1 same position. but on this point there
was some difference OF opinion.
| It was argued by several members
of the board that, while many of the
stories may be utterly untrue and
others grossly exaggerated. yet in
some of the cases at least there must
nave been some foundation in fact,
otherwise certain defendants would
not now be held under bond for the
United States grand jury, on a charge
Of peonage.
| The fact, too. that the United States
has taken the precautfon to forcibly
detain several Of the complaining wit
nesses was held as indicating that
there had been some wrong done Ia
borers. In view of all these facts, II
was thought best to await the evi
dence that will come out at the trial
before condemning all the stories as
faasehoods.
| "A letter from the German vice-con
sui at Pensacola, to Mr.. Brobston
stated that within short time a copy
of the printed report of his investlga
tons into the conditions alleged to ex
ist near the Alabama line would be
forwarded.
For Foreign Bureau.
Mr.. Taylor. who has had about
eight years experience in Europe as
the representative Of large transpor
tation companies, stated to the board
that in order to secure a good class
of workmen it would be necessary tc
maintain competent and efficient
agents in the countries from which
the immigrants were to be brought.
+ He pointed out that more than 81
lper cent Of all the immigrants landing
at New York had determined upon the
point at which they would work, ant
THAT less than one per cent of then
could be induced to change the place
of their final destination These fig
ures, he stated had been secured b!
actual tests made at Ellis Island.
Mr.. Taylor talked Interestingly O
the class of immigrants that could b.
secured, laying especial stress upol
the desirability of the families secur
ed from the agricultural classes o
northern Italy
Resolution Is Passed.
After some further discussion Of tn,
question, in all its phases, it was de
ci6Jd that, between the present an,
1.-The time Of the assembling of the leg
islature. the matter would be careful
ly looked into. so that all the neces
sary data could be put before the leg
islature when the establishment O
1.-The Florida immigration bureau wa
asked.
Ut was pointed out that especially
several Of the southern states cooper
ated and established similar bureaus
and all aided in maintaining q genera
agency or agencies In the old world
that the cost would be comparativel.
slight and, when measured by tn
benefits derived, inssgnicantIy small.
Then, when the question was Gale,
Nnr t9o HrobStom resolution as state,