Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-01-10

'ISinia WIKI De strongly sup
ported.
In connection with the carrying
out OF his ideas, Mr.. Koiner, about
three months ago, began cores
ponding with the lord mayor of
London. Thereare many thousands
of idle laborers in the city of Lon
don alone, and the lord mayor has
shown active interest i'm Mr..
holner's proposition, which would
provide the means of permanent
employment for this vast army of
workers.
The matter was referred to l.. =
Brine, the British vice consul.
stationed at Richmond, who has
been Investigating the plan and it's
possibilities on behalf of his gov
eminent. Mr.. Brine has been the
British vice consul here for about
fifteen years and is thoroughly
converSant with the agricultural
conditions of the State. He Is
working enthusiastically with Mr..
hoiner in the pushing forward of
the plan to bring his countrymen
to the farm districts of Virginia.
In explaining his plan, MIR.
KOiner said this morning:
Il feel confident that the Legis-
lature will make the appropriation
which my department is seeking.
and in case it does | expect to dis
patch a man abroad Immediately
to work mp the details of the i'm
migration of laborers from that
end.
Unless there should be some
unexpected delay, | hope to have
thousands of farm laborers in this
State from England. Ireland. Scot
land, Germany, and Sweden in
time to participate in the work Of
the summer crop"
1t would be difficult to estimate
what this movement really means
to the agricural future of Virginia.
Without question it means the de-
velOpment of millions of acres Of
splendid farm land which today is
lying uncultivated and practically
useless as producing soil.
There are in Virginia at least
ten million acres of land idle. This
land is taxed in most cases on a
basis of value of from So to $40 per
acre, and it has been demonstrated
very recently that under proper
cultivation this same land increases
in value to $50 or $50 per acre.
In other words, if our efforts to
bring outside labor into the State
are successful, these 10000. 900
acres of land would in the cours Of
things be cultivated, thus adding
500,O0O,OOO to the taxable value
of Virginia.
Mr.. Homer has arranged a sys-
tenn by which farmers who desire
help can register names with a
statement of what they wish. The
laborers, if they come here. will be
cared for until they can be
located on farms. Either the
farmers can come to Richmond or
other points, that may be estab-
liShed as headquarters and employ
the men or they can have the labor
ers sent to them on application.
Mr.. Koiner has been CORE
spending with the town authorities
of Glasgow, Scotland, and other
places. In every instance those to
whom to he was written have ex-
pressed themselves as glad to know
that there exists such an opening.
He has had many letters from in
dividual laborers, especially in
Scotland, inclosing clippings from
the Glasgow newspapers and seek
ing further information on the sub
ject.
Many of these people," said
Mr.. KOiner, ARE Irishmen who
have been trained to till the soil
conscientiously and with economy
and they, like the laborers from
the other countries with which |
am negotiating, will be peculiarly
adapted to conditions here for the
reason that our principal crops are
the same as those that they have
been working all their lives.
The class of laborer that | am
'endeavoring to bring over is made
up of people who have spent prac-
tically their whole lives in one
place. They are not wanderers.
and if they come over here with
their families and are located where
they will receive fair treatment, it