The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-30
IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE
 DECLARES FOR STATE BUREAU
Representative Alabama Men Assemble in Mont gon1ery and Agree Upon a Bill to Go
 , to the Legislature.

gomery yesterday afternoon decided to present to the Alabama Legislature for it's adoption a bill for the establish ment of a Bureau of Immigration and it's maintenance for four years by an annual appropriation of s2O.000. The bill will be submitted to Governor elect B. B. Conner with a recommendation n that he request its enactment by the Legislature. The bureau, as planned, will not embrace a department of labor.
 By the terms of the bill the Commits sioner of Immigration is to receive a yearly salary of S3.oo0. his chief clerk q, 500 a year, and his subordinate clerks such salaries as he may determine.
 The proposed law is an amended form of the bill framed by F. J. Thompson of Huntsville, and his associates on the special immigration committee of the Alabama Comm erciai and Industrial As sociation.
 The sessions of yesterday were held at the Commercial Club. They were at tended by representative citizens Of many cities of the state and the discus sions of the bill were thorough and ef- ficient. The principal debate was be- tween Frank " Evans of Birmingham and J. R. McMulIen of Gadsden, and others upon the adoption of resolu- ton introduced by MT. Evans The resolution, though lost before the con ference, was embodied in the bill by a committee and was ultimately adopteo'
 Report of Mr. Jackson.
 F NJ Jackson of Birmingham was temporary chairman of the conference and the reading of his report was the first business before the convention. It was as follows:
 q was moved to issue a call for this conference, after a consultation with number of gentlemen from, vArtous sec tions of the State and representatives e. rEN m ffnnG fntaFaGfAd in securing the passage of the bill by the next Legislature establishing State Bureau of Immigration. It is very evi- dent that if the forces favoring the principle of such legislation are to be effective. they must present united front 'F
 'The Alabama Industrial and Com mercial Association at It's meeting. in Gadsden this year, authorized a com mIttee to prepare a bill providing for .ths establishing. of. a State Bureau or Immigration. That committee has pre- pared bill looking to that end and 1t was for the purpose of considering this measure and such amendments as might be suggested. and other measures that may be proposed, that this conference was called.
 '"The Alabama State Immigration So- ciety was formed nearly two years ago at a conference on immigration held in the Clly 0l fAN ~A''-O while the7need of immigration was deep ly felt by aour farms, our factories and our various industries, public senti- ment was not yet educated to favor able consideration of the immigration question. At that Conference resoIu- tions were adopted declaring for state Bureau of Immigration and calling on friends of immigration to get together for 1the purpose of educating public sentiment up to a realization of the i'm portance of desirable immigration to the welfare of the State.
 "As a result of that conference there was renewed interest, unquestionably, taken in the subject Other organiza- tions interested in immigration took up the question more vigorously and for sonfe time there has been an active .carupaj En for immigration waged in person and through the press.
 outlook is Favorable.
 The outlook for a passage of bill establishing a State Bureau of Immi- grafton is most favorable. The utmost caution, however. must be exercised Tn the preparation of tflls measure. We must not be moved to over-confidence by the apparent change in public sent iment. It seems to me that we should be especially careful not to confuse the minds of the legislators by uniting with the provisions to establish a State Blu reau of Immigration, subjects which are not intimately and directly related thereto. ~
 "A powerful factor in bringing about a decided sentiment for immigration. has been the Alabama lndustriaI ana Commercial Association. At its meet ings in Gadsden, above referred to, the keynote of its proceedings was immi- grafton One of the notable addresses delivered there was by E. J. Watson, Commissioner for South Carolina, who told in an interesting and comprehen- sive way of the methods employed by his State in securing immigration.
 "In view of the interest manifested merial Association, in view of it's im- portance. in that it is a body com posed of all of the commercial asso- cations of the State and in view of the fact that the bill prepared by the spe- cial committee of that association, al- though it may need amendments, must form the basis of the Legislation we seek. think 1t but oper, as well as expedient, that whatever measure shall he tbe outcome of this conference. due credit be given the Alabama Industrial and commercial Association for the au- thorship of the bill and that the con ference act as endorser thereof.
 Need For state Bureau.
 How essential 1t is to secure State Bureau of Immigration, every one pres ont knows. While the Industrial Asso- citation, of which MT. Ross C. smith ia Commissioner, the German Immigra- ton Society and other organization have done noble work in furtherance oi the cause of immigration and have suc- ceeded in inducing, to some degree. desirable immigration, there is an over u,beIminE need for a State Bureau which can do what no private individ- Wai l' nor organization under the law is per .ResIizIne IRa the futility of an organi- uation like the Alabama State Immi- grafton Society. to induce S..l lmmISFsi 5Imifsd tion direct, its work h1s 6een been l1tniIeo m ,ral migration. .;.+,, bave not felt justified in receiving or solS, iting funds to be wasted in futile ef' forts sCr%s to secure immigration. hence. we nave nave to the best of our ability, with out the expenditure of money, conauc''