The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-26

Mr.. President and Members of the
North Carolina Bankers Association:
The subject assigned to me is: I'm
migration: Should Banks Encourage
It?" ,,
Thisf a question of vital impor-
lance TO the people of North Carolina
and the entire South, and one hat it
%agitating the public mind. Numerous
conventions and conferences have been
called to deal with this subject, and 50
far without any or very little practical
result.
Banks should unquestionably en-
courage anything that will enc to de-
Velop the magnificent of the
state. The first question to consider
therefore is, whether or not immigra-
ton will accomplish these ends. 1t is
undoubtedly true that North Carolina
has ample room for thousands of i'm
migrants of the right class. The per-
picking question therefore is, what
class of immigration snOuld be en-
cOuraged.
The great tide Of foreign immigra-
ton coming to the United States has
up to the present time settled in the
States North and West of us, but
little of it having entered the South.
We have therefore the experience of
these states to guide is passing upon
tn class of immigration we want. 1t
is a mOOted question whether or not
the south should encourage indiscrim-
mate foreign immigration. We all rea-
lie the necessity of newcomers to the
south, but it is better to have none
than to attract to this section a class
of foreigners that would be utterly un-
desirable as permanent settlers. II
we open wide our doors and accept
any and all immigrants and try to
treat them we'll at the outset We might
as we'll make up our minds at the same
time to accept whatever comes and
makes the best Of it. | am unaltera-
bly, opposed to inviting the criminal
and pauper class of Europe, regard
less of nationality, to our state. Sta
tistics on immigration show that sc
2-3 per CEN of the foreigners coming
to this country are composed OF a
class of persons 50 to rs per cent of
whom "a neither read nor write n
this class should not be encouraged.
IF I may be pardOned for speaking
of my own experience in dealing with
this question I will state that out OF
a thousand immigrants settled in Co
1umbus county only ten Of these were
foreign born. Out of this latter num-
Der only four remained as permanent
citizens. divided as follows: English,
one; German, me Hungarian, one;
French, one. AS will be seen by this
it is extremely hard to get the tor
eigner to remain unless settled IN
dense colonies of n nationality. we
want to avoid the complex question or
race discrimination for we have as
much of that burden now as we are
able to bear. Should we settle whole
communities of one class OF people,
that they be clannish and perpetuate
their own customs n OF Nv
ing in the midst of = different CIVIL
cation would uniformly be the lneVlta-
BILE result.
A number of attempts to form set
Elements and encourage immigration
in the south have been made many
of which nave been failures. Every at
tempt that proves a failure only Oper-
ates against us in securing further I'M
migration. Were it possible for the
state of North Carolina to choose her
own immigrants. we should unQues-
tiOnably encourage the Germans, the
English and the Swedes, but [ do not
believe that any but nOme-bullders
should be encouraged. 1t has been
class of citizens who own their homes
make best citizens of any country. We
seldom find the spirit of socialism or
anarchy among this class.
IF anv ignorant, vicious class is to be
brought in at all it should be at a no
more rapid rate than our W people
can assimilate. and no in sufficient
numbers to dominate the community.
IMMIGRATION LABOR.
There is a cry all over the SOUTH for
more labor and especially for cheap
labor. The very question OF cheap
labor has been one of the greatest
drawbacks to southern immigration.
We can hardly expect 20 secure a de-
sirable class of immigrants with a
cheap labor system. The growing need
of the state and the entire south today
is more efficient labor, and not cheap
labor: men who are capable Of devel-
oping the great Of this sec
ton.
The south has been bending every
effort for the last two years to reduce
the production of cotton so as to OBJ
tain reasonable prices and n con-
siderable influx of cheap labor viii
tend to increase the production Of this
one staple and might prove a hin
rance rather than a benefit to OF
best interests.
The south is u~ndeniably in sore neec
of additional intelligent agriculturists
those who make an intelligent use O
the at hand. and it is these
who should be encouraged n not tht
;ndiscriminate immigration as 1t mas
beer pouring into other sections OF the
United States.