The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-10-24
Distribssinx Immigrants.

Distributing Immigrants.
immigration Is problem which tie
southern states Of the Union are forced
to tackle heroically or see their pros
perity dwindle. Naturally the southern
people are watching the trend of agen-
cies which influence the distribution of
aliens admitted to the United States.
The new law provides bureau of In
formation to guide immigrants in the
selection of a home. This is step in
the right direction, but it is the opinion
of the New Orleans Picayune that the
south has little to expect from this
source. 1t seems that the railroads
which are factor in the distribution
of new arrivals by Storage do not in
clude the far southern states in their
plans. With all due respect to the good
faith of the railroads and the fairness
of the government officials it can be
said that only those sections which are
fortunately placed in the line Of the
immigrants progress can expect to re-
ceive an influx of laborers without spe-
cial effort.
An immigrant coming from the old
world to America naturally follows the
line Of the least resistance. How this
works in the distribution of the mill
lions coming over is only to be under
stood when we put ourselves in the
immigrants place as he stands on the
dock in Hamburg, Bremen or Liver
know how the other half lives SO the
well to do of the world do not realize
how poor and desperate and ignorant
the average immigrant of today is
when he sets out for America. A very
little money, but perhaps all he pos
sesses, will take him to America-that
is, to New York-and to New York he
goes. A little luck or great ambition
will soon put him into possession Of
happens he has fallen in with the
agents of railways or land promoters,
and they will surely steer him to their
own advantage.
Only glance at the development Of
the several sections Of this country
since the civil war is needed to show
low the present system of distribution
works. Regions far distant from the
Atlantic coast have been filled with
grown up, while intervening sections
equally fertile have been slighted by
settlers The new arrival who wants
to move on from New York IL steered
just as far as his cash will carry him,
and this may be 1000 or 500 miles.
The railroad gets the immigrants long
haul fare, stinting his accommodation,
and it also gets long haul rates on
freight and other business developed
by the immigrants labor in his new
home. A state or section too far to the
right or to the left, to the northwest or
the southeast, Of the main course of the
steered immigration's progress will
rarely be reached by the fresh arrival.
If he is not booked for certain inland
destination before he leaves Europe he
Is dropped at the Atlantic seaport, and
If Il. pulls out again hs il dropped ut
some station which has been selected
for him by others, and 1t 10 emily By
chance and AFTER years Of groping taat
he learns hsw big America u and bow
hungry the land fer tsilsrs. Govern
ment information will be boon to the
immigrants seeking it and capable OF
needing 1t, but in the MASS they will
continue to so just where they are
steersd by guides whose interests are
involved.