The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-16
AN ALABAMA LINE
STEAMSHIPS FROM EUROPE TO MO-
 BILE NEEDED BY STATE.
Direct Communication Weuld Land im- migrants at Our Doorway With
 No other Idea in America

No other Idea in America
 But Alabama. a1
 The establishment of steamship line from Liverpool to Mobile, even If 1t must be subsidized by this State, is, in the opinion of s. A. Thorson, an experienced immigrant agent, the only practicable method of bringing and keeping farmers In Alabama.
 Mir. Tbcfson, who came to Montgorn- cry to ass st in the organization of the Scandinavian Club last night. has been interested ir immigration for nine years.
 There is only one way to bring per- manent settlers to Alabama" he said yesterday. ''and that is to bring them directly into Alabama and not attempt to bring them through New York, Chi- cago, New Orleans or any other port To do this a steamship line must be es- tablished between Mobile and Liverpool or London. To the foreigner in Eu- rope America means merely the first spot he is going to. and generally the spot is New York. If we wish immi- grants to come to this State to stay they must leave Europe with the idea that Alabama is America.
 During my work in immigration, I have spent much time in Castle Gar den, New York, and in the other first landing places for the foreigners. The immigrants are at once taken in charge by societies. clubs and organizations of their compatriots, who advise them to remain in New York or to go hither or thither, the advice being only too often the result of judicious bribery by labor and immigration agents.
 Tn New York they are offered good wages, g a day and upwards. and no matter how far from the metropolis they may go they never forget what they left behind and are easily discon- tented. Tn the same way, foreigners brought to Alabama from the North west. where the lands are heavy and rich and black are not favorably pre- the sandy lands of the South.
 .In other words" MT. Thorson's de- claration was critical and conclusive. We have nothing to offer them that will please them when they have op- portunity to compare the conoitions here with those in the North. Again, the ideas with which they become imbued in the North are not the ideas of the South. If they came first to the South they would more easily as- sume and assimilate our ideas and methods of life.
 Most of the plans proposed to secure immigration give opportunity for graft. I believe that steamship line oper- ated under the protection and by a subsidy, if necessary, of the State would preclude graft. It would place an immigration agent for this State in every town and railway station in Europe. Even New Orleans as a port of entry would not benefit us; the immigrants landing there are sent Into the interior of Louisiana or into Texas. Most of the immigrants landing in the South are from the southern part Of Europe and ninety-five per cent of them are traders.
 When the immigrants are In Ala bama let them be colonized by com panies of Alabama capitalists. There are thousands of acres of idle land in | the State, for sale at S2 and $5 an acre-good land that would make ideal | homes for the immigrants
 MT. Thorson spoke of plans discussed | by himself and Birmingham capitalists | who were willing to subscribe $1,00o.- | 900 of stock to organize colonization | company He seemed as enthusiastic