The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-25
WANTS IMMIGRATION
HUNTsvILLE BUSINESS MAN TALKS
 OF MEASURE.
Declares Establishment of Stnte De- partment Only Solution for Labor ProbIem-Bill Up Agars
 TOmOrrOw.

4Aoh. | dhh AhohPooN
 ville. President of the Chamber or Commerce of that city. and chairman of the Committee on Immigration oi the Alabama Commercial and lndus- trial Association of Alabama, arrived in Montgomery yesterday to take part in the fight for the passage of the I'm migration department bill He was asked to come by Capt. A, G. Forbes of Montgomery, President of the state Association.
 The measure, which was introduced in the House. was defeated on hnai passage one day last week. At the time of it's defeat. some of its friends moved for reconsideration. and tnls has been set for hearing by the lower house of the Legislature for tomorrow morning.
 The friends of the measure main taned at the time the bill was de- feated that unfair use had been madc of the previous question: by menas of which debate had been shut off just a fter telling speeches against the bill had been delivered by MT. Carmichael of Colbert, MT. Steagali of Dale and others They contended that if the friends of the measure had been given full opportunity to reply. the vote on final passage would have been different than it was.
 Mir. Thompson. who Is stopping at the Exchange Hotel. is something Of an enthusiast on the subject of immi- grafton. Discussing the immigration bill last night. he said:
 The bill was carefully considered before its presentation in all its bear ings on every interest in Alabama, and 1t practically had two years discussion before being presented. One of the strongest reasons in it's favor is the hoe against it, viz. That undesirable classes would be brought in under it. The truth is there is no other way by which Alabama can be protected from these very classes save under the op- eration of a department such as this bill provides for.
 "It may not be known that these classes are now being brought into Alabama by private employment agen- cies. simply because of the demand for
 labor. and there are no means at hand for getting 1t otherwise. I1 does not seem to have been considered that 1t Is the refuse classes who are left over at Ellis Island that these labor agen- cies are getting hold of and bring ng into the South, and this cannot be pre- vented save by and through a direct department of the State itself.
 Under such a department, the classes desired can be selected and arranged for at ports of departure. and these can be distributed after arrival only where wanted with no disturbance to existing labor conditions. Without such selection and direct supervision the State can be and will be flooded with those who are in every sense un- desirable,
 This work can not be successfully handled through any other department. from the fact that if the other depart | ments perform the duties pertaining to
 them they will have all they can pos | sibly attend to.
 There is a great demand for all | classes of labor due to the extraordin- l ary development of the State and that 1 development cannot go forward without more labor. There is more land lying l idle in Madison County this year for want of labor to cultivate 1t. than I
 have ever known. and it has been
 shown that South Carolina has been
 receiving agriculturists as well as oth-
 CT classes of labor, and if Alabama
 could only receive enough of foreign 1 agriculturists who have been taugh,
 intensive farming from necessity. they
 would enrich the entire South, to say
 nothing of any other classes.
 If some sections of the State have
 all the labor they desire, they should
 not prevent other sections from ob-
 taining what they need The idea of
 cheapening present labor by this l movement Is wholly an error, since ne- gro labor is recognized as the cheap
 est in the world, and no one expects
 to obtain white labor at the same
 prices that are now paid to negroes.
 To get better labor means better prices
 for it. and this the parties needing it
 are willing to pay. All they ask Is the
 privilege of doing so. and certainly
 Ala bama, in it's sovereign capacity, is
 not going to deny any of its citizens
 that privilege.
 If the Legislature will only create
 this department, so that the matter oi
 obtaining desirable classes of immi
 grants can be gone about in business
 like manner. its financing can be lief
 to the individuals who need labor, anc
 this certainly can hurt no one espe
 cially since undesirable classes vii
 come unless desirable classes are thu | nrnVj1aH for