The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-02-15
Prepared for The Messenger.
By Mai. E. ". VanC. Lucas.

There is now pending before the leg
islature a bill to establish a department.
of immigration and to appropriate for
its expense a part of the a]gricultural
fund A question has arisen as 20 the
prospective benefit to be derived by the
farmer from the establishment Il 4
department Of immigration, and whclh-
er such benefit would Justify the ii .ot-
ment of $40, 900 from the agricultural
fund The following discussion is rel
ative to:
1st. The farmers need OF labor. I'D.
The probability Of relief under the oiC,
alton of the proposed immigration III:
3rd: The justification of an allOtE-ru:
from the agricultural fund.
%. In a general way we all kGew
that farmers need labor and need it
keenly, and the data collected by Sec
rotary Bruner. of the department Of
agriculture. shows a definite demand
for farm labor from II counties, or
about so per cent. of the state, and an
aggregate Of approximately $1,000
farm laborers needed by those On'y
who sem estimates. This indicates an
actual need of perhaps 81 5000 to 100
600 at the present time.
AS compared with the need Of manu-
fa%eturers, the bureau of labor estimates
the number OF farm laborers in the
state at 100000 and the number of
laborers employed by the manufacture
ing interest at 10000. From the best
available sources 1t is estimated that
the manufacturers need about 10. 300
to 5000 additional laborers They are
approximately Is per cent. short, While
the farmers are about 20 per e IL
short. In actual numbers the need q:
the farmers is six times greater tDaE
that of the factories and mills. II the
manufacturers suffer a loss Of Is -
20 per cent in the capacity of their
mills for the ack of labor. do not the
farmers suffer equally for the lack OF
labor, which compels them to leAvc
good land lying idle. and do they non
suffer worse when for lack of labor
they lose matured crops which canao
be harvested How many North Caro-
lima farmers will plant their crops this
spring with the assurance of having
enough labor to properly cultivate and
harvest them?
ca. Will the operation of the bin
tend to relieve the farmers need for
labor? Assuredly yes. This opinion is
based on actual experience during the
last W years in bringing immigrants
TO this state and locating them Oh
small farms There is at present 4 very
large movement Of foreign farmer en-
igrants to this country most of whom
settle in the north and west because
for many years the great tide OF immi-
grafton has taken that path and Il:eir
relatives and friends, already settled,
point that way. These farmer immi-
grants come to America largely be-
cause they seek to escape the burden
Of taxation which has for generations
kept them down to a bare existence
with absolutely no chance to improve
their condition. "America'' and The
Land of the Free" are expressions C
very real meaning TO them.
While a small percentage have
money enough to purchase land, tn
larger number are poor and availaJla
only as laborers or tenant farmers.
but all have the ambition TO ultimately
w their own little farms, and WUi
work hard and faithfully 10 attain tI,&t
end. They are as keenly anxious for
schools and churches as our W people
and thair i'm rnndio.o effort &c m 1agrn
cur language and customs. The farrrel
immigrant is the best element now Cd
tering the country and emphatic y /
worth having.
The proper application Of this bin i
the most effective means Of bringing
this desirable element 10 The state as
it will enable our state agents abroad
to select only the best and to snip Them
directly 10 our ports.
The direct shipment to the port aea:-
est ultimate destination is of the great-
est importance; If we depend on cut
side ports-whether New York, Char
or Norfolk. we will get what
other people don't want.
The essential is TO furnish our agents
abroad with schedules Of occupations,
wages, accommodations, etc. SO that
prospective immigrant may, before
leaving the other side, know definitely
what to expect, and this can be zone
quite as we'll for the farmer as for the
IL the farmer will take the trouble TO
make known his needs and Whaf ne
IAN offer. he will benefit at ieas. as
much and probably more than the
(3). Such being the situation. is
here a sufficient justification for an
allotment OF $4,000 for immigration