The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-19
Mlsx sor rALAaAmAs

WHx N0TsAIknAMAf
 TromsKh 1ndianapolis paper we copy
 the foliowua.
 The rqcent transfer of 800 900 acres Vt lana in oreson Enarks the imitation scksmss on sscoSd, and also spSts with. in the feAeh of settlers what is prac- ticAlly the last great tract of valuable 1 agricultural land'if the West. The com sIdesstIcn Is. close upon si.oeo.oo0s and 1 which comprises almost one one-hun- 1 dredth of the State 6f oregon, and Is in | itself great enough for an Empire, are the Hunter. Land Company of Minne. 4polis. with whom aie associated A p. Lend Company ana Etesident of tho A. E .- Johnson Land and Steamship Com
 pany. S. s. Thorpe of Minneapolis;
 Mslser 2 BTgwg nk pes M9ines. ,i,ss la; 2;
 Illinois and caiifornIa, as well as Rich
 aESi Sykes. the Eneltsh caoitalist,
 This extract explains itself but we
 may add that 1t in the Intention of the
 purchasers to divide the tract into
 small or reasonably sn1ail farms, and
 atsaoss Of, thsnf to settlers on easy
 terms. The price paid for the land is only aho1t two dollars an acre. and we snnposa the companx will sell 1t to set tterh at such pfices and oH sHcir' terms, eas-wnf bring hymes within reach Of ali. Railroads and irrigation plants are al- ready under way and every exertion will be made to render the region at- tractive stc land buysrs.
 We have copied this statement be- cause of It's suggestiveness. What Is being done in Oregon could be done in Alabama with prof1t to the land owners and permanent beHefit, to the State. Tn many places, especially in the Black Belt. there are immense plantations, which. In tas old slavery days. wera easily and proAtabiy managed, but it is different now. and is annually growing worse. Unfortunately for them, the negroes are becoming unreliable as ten- ants and each succeeding year sees eon- ditions growing more unsatisfactory. It is needless to discuss the reason of this hkreliabiiity of eoiored labor The fact exists. as all know, and chat Is srsi- eleft z
 All this suggests that. the example here alluded to might be followed in Alabana with better reason than in Oregon. There. the object in view Is to set more immigrants, but here tine main point fs to get better ones. True. we have not in Alabama any solid tracts of half-a-million acres that could be purehased in solid body and Sub Gfvided. but there are places where thousands Of acres could be thrown to- Esther ana disposed of to desirable cIass of white settlers. If the negroes cannot be depended on, white men must take their places, or our agricultural. and other industries must suffer. whether this desirable class of citizsns is to come from thes more Northern portions Of our own country, ar from Europe. we cannot expect them to come here by single families and settle on remote farms where they will he practically isolated from their own skind. In short. q white family from any other portion ot the world Is not wiling to come down here and make a home where perhaps the onlg neighbors will be negroes. The cotton belt of AlabamS cannot get new and reliable citizens in that way. They want their 6ts4 kind about them and will not Dc aofits4hted under ether eehditiOns If. come of the large arsdruhYisidly plant: taIons eG Alabanla's black belt were di" vided into sthali farms and offered on aasy terms to desitabTe colonies Of Aa Faf. all concerned. beyond q doubt. The state cannot grow and prosper unless the armyIahas safe5u e5u9SDsrEg soultivated. and it Is bseouf1hg appafeatT that this will not be done by nsgro labor. with aut q 1matefiaf change tn their ways
 Why not make sAiallafArTas Of somC Of tl1s great onSsf i>.;t-...r..=!.T -f. .c