The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-16

I from 5s cities, having each a popaIa. l tion of 50,000 and over. Considering
 the large accumulation of immigrants l in our large cities, the result Is as
 tonishing For the principal national:
 ties are the results: Uf the heads .ot
 100 German families, s1.6 per cent own-
 ed their homes; Of Irish, 2449 per
 cent; Of Scotch 24.19 per cent; of
 4 rench 24.09. per cent; of English 2S.4s per cent; of native. born Americans, 2S.41 per cent and of English Canadians | 1881 per cent.
 | If the South today recognizes the de- siTability or the necessity of drawing hither European immigration, In order
 to develop her great natural resources, what ought to be done to accomplish
 this result? First and foremost,I would
 say that the representatives of the
 southern States in the congress or the United States, must in the future de-
 slst from offering and adYocating n1ea-
 suTes calculated to restrict immigra-
 tion.
 The Conkressional debates show that as rule southern representatives and Senators have, in the past, shown con siderable hostility to European iiami- grafton, and have at times indulged in language which has produced the i'm presslon that Europeans are not vel come South of Mason and Dixon line The diplomatic representatives. of Euro pean countries at Washington take not of all this and report to their gov ernments the existence Of hostile feel ings in the South toward foreigners. The European governments do not en- courage the immigration of their citi- zens, but they recognize that a large
 number do emigrate and they seek to direct those who go to the United States to those sections where they be- lieve that they will find no hostile sen tiraent, and no discrimination in the administration of the law.
 Next the foreigner must enjoy the equal protection of the laws and suf- fer no discrimination in it's enforce ment. Two often the Immigrant labor CT, unable to speak the English lan- guage, friendless, is made the victim of interruptions and rapacious petty officials who drag finn before the inag- istrate upon a trival enarge, where he is convicted on slender proof, mulct in a fine and large cost bill, which he or his friends must pay instantly, or undergo Imprisonment al hard labor in the society of abandoned negro con victs,
 Must Encourage New Citizens.
 Lastly, the State of Alabama must lend its aid to encourage innmigra- tion. Other States have done this and reaped rich results
 We need In Alabama a State Com missioner of Immigration, with sufl- cient authority and means at his com mand to do effective work. This off, cial should compile from all available sources correct information of the ig- rlcultural, horticultural and mineral resources of the State and publish 1t in the English and in some of the foreign languages. This class of liter ature should be distributed in the countries from whence immigrants come. As a rule the point of settle ment is decided upon by the immigrant before he leaves his home The Com missioner should at all tfmes be ready to direct arriving immigrants to those sections of the State Where good land can be secured at reasonable prices and Wpere the farmer and trucker can find a ready market for his produce. The Commissioner could supply plan- ters with white labor and by keeping in touch with the industrial plants of the State, find employnient" [" for the in- in those occupations for which each applicant is best fitted.
 A state commissioner of inamigra- ton can doWthings i;. rurthering the bringing here of immigrants which are made violation of the Federal sta tnte. if done by private individuals. Section six of the Act of Congress on March Srd, 1903, declares it unlawful to assist, or encourage the importa-