Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-30
TIDE OF EMIGRATION.
President Roosevelt Would Send I'm. migrants to Agricultural Districts.

fresiuent Roosevelt Would Send I'm.
 migrants to Agricultural Districts.
 Washington, D. C., May 3O.- President Roosevelt, backed by the whole power of the administration, has started movement to turn the tide of emigration, as well as immi- grafton, to agricultural pursuits in America. The president regards the movement as quite as important as that looking to the conservation of the natural resources of the coun- try, and even more important from a purely sociological viewpoint.
 Recently he has discussed the sub ject at length with some of the best thinkers of the country, and in a practical way has taken the matter up with Secretary Wilson of the de- partment of agriculture. It is his desire to induce people to get back to first principles and cultivate the soil of the country. He regards 1t as fraught with danger to the integ- rity of the nation that so many people, not only from other coun- tries. but from our own country, should seek life in the large cities. Statistics show that thou sands-even tens of thousands-of young men and young women are leaving the farms of America and taking up life in cities. The certain ty is that many of them barely will eke out an existence in towns or cities, yet apparently the attractions of city life are too much for them to resist
 \ It Is the idea of the president that a national movement be started not merely to prevent young people in America from leaving the farms, but also to divert as large a percentage as possible of the alien immigration from the cities to the country. To this end, he hopes that the attrac- tions of rural life may be presented to the people in way that will ap- peal to them. He has in mind the delivery of some addresses on the subject before he shall retire from the presidency and he hopes that, in year from this time, the movement will be we'll started.
 Secretary Wilson Is cooperating with President Roosevelt enthusias- tically. His department has done much toward the establishment and maintenance of agricultural high schools In the various states and the work has been of immense value. Secretary Wilson has evolved a scheme for the publication of a nat ural agricultural newspaper in this city which shall press vigorously the movement instituted by the president. The scheme is only ten- tative now, but the secretary hopes that 1t may come to fruition.
 Secretary Straus of the depart ment of commerce and labor, both through the bureau of immigration and through the division of informa- tion, Is doing all he can to promote the presidents policy. Every effort Is being made by the immigration officials to induce immigrants to seek homes in the rural district of the country instead of locating in the large cities, which already are greatly congested.
 The officials of the department of dNTlCutulc picotHA htuite bO ruO" that the farms in the middle west average about 160 acres. It Is as- serted that farms of considerably less acreage. properly titled, would he far more profitable. The idea is that the American farmer should till the soil less extensively and more irtensively: in other words. that he should mix brains with his bravn and thus get better result for his work.
 While most of the good farming land of the country is expensive. the work of irrigation and reclamation of swamp lands on which the gov ernment has entered, will enable many people to acquire lands at req sonable prices. On their own lands they will have much better chances to become happy and independent than they would if they should To- cate in some larger city. and men, tally, morally and physically they would be better men and women.