The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-09
MUCH FOR THE SOUTH.


 The authoritative announcement that there is to be a South Atlantic Immigration Station established at Charleston is matter of almost vital importance to the Southern States. It IS not merely that the station at New York is often overcrowded beyond it's capacity. though that of itself Is good reason why other stations should be established. The New York station cannot handle the crowds.N
 But that is not the point of chief interest to our section. What is of most importance to us is that the move will be of vast assistance to the South in getting the desirable im- migration so much needed. It is of- ten remarked with more or less sur prise that when ship load of im- migrants disembark at the New York station they almost invariably remain there or go to some portion of the Northern or Western States, compara- lively few of them coming South. The fact of such distribution has often been remarked but not always under stood.
 There are two reasons for this un- equal distribution. One is that the great number of railroads and their transportation facilities through and across the Northern half of the Union offer such ready and quick means of travel that the newly arrived immi- grants who do not intend to remain in or near New York find ready means of getting West without delay. The comparatively few lines of travel to the South do not offer the induce ments that the others do.
 Another reason for our failure to get fair proportion of the new corners Is that we do not go after them, as the expression goes. The States and communities Of the West and Middle West keep regular corps of immigration agents and solicitors on the ground at all times. When the immigrants get of the Incoming ship they at once find agents awaiting. them to offer them inducements and to assist them in locating themselves Not only this, but these immigration bureaus keep their agents in the coun- tries of Europe from which the most desirable settlers are 70 come and offer them information and induce ments to come over to America. In a great many instances the prospec- tive immigrant has his destination and location fixed before leaving his home.
 These are some of the principal ob- stacles in the way' Of getting immi- grants in the South. and they will be largely overcome by the proposed es- tablithment at Charleston If the move could be extended so that we would have government stations at Galveston and New Orleans 1t would be still better. but if adequate facili- ties are provided at Charleston, and if the Commercial Associations and the various agricultural organizations will adopt the plan so largely and profita- bly pursued in the North there would be no lack of good and desirable set tiers here.
 Thet good immigrants are not only desirable but necessary in the South is becoming more evident every day. It has reached a point where one of two things. is absolutely sure: either this section must fall behind the rest of the country in the march of progress and prosperity or we must have an infusion of new blood in our industrial population. With each passing year negro labor is beeom- ing more and more difficult to obtain and more unreliable in every depart ment of industrial requirement. If we are content to stand still, or to march backward while the rest Of the Union is moving forward, we can do so by to rely on the colored la- borers as we have been doing, but If we desire to keep up. with the process sion there Is but one way open and that is to bring in white immigrants. The proposed establishment at Charles ton will be the first great step, and all the South should join in making it a success.
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