The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-10-14
DISTRIBUTING Iznmigranfss

Oistrlbutine Immigrants.
Immigration Is Z problem which die
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 agen4
Giles 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 a factor in the distribution
OF new arrivals by steerage 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 mil
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
pool. Just as one half the world doesn't
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 a great ambition
| will soon put him into possession of
money to travel on, but before this
! happens he has fallen in with the
agents of railways or land promoters,
and they will surely steer him to their
own advantage.
| Only a 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 filed with
settlers, and rich communities have
grown up, while intervening sections
| equally fertile have been sighted by
| settlers. The new arrival who wants
to move on from New York is steered
Just ms far as his cash will carry him,
| and this may be 1000 or 1900 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 Mt the Atlantic seaport, and
| if he pulls out again he is dropped at
some station which has been selected
for him by others, and it is only by
chance and after years of cropping that
he learns how big America is andthow
hungry the land for toilers. Govern
ment information will be boon to the
immigrants seeking it and capable OF
needing it, but in the mass they will
continue to go just where they are
steered by guides whose interests are
involved.