Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-05-26
LOW FARE FOR
LAND AGENTS
a NEW LAW BEING ADMINS
TERED BY RAILROAD
COMMISSION.
MIGRATION OF ESTABLISHED
WISCONSIN RESIDENTS
NOT ENCOURAGED.

Land agents, under the title OF
immigration agents" are taking
steps to obtain free or reduced rate
transportation under the provisions
of chapter 109, laws of 1909 recently
enacted by the legislature. Some
agents, however are disappointed by
the fact that they are not permitted
to use any reduced rate Transports
| ton in the business OF getting south
ern Wisconsin citizens to sell their
in the northern counties.
This law provides that the prohi-
billions against the granting by rail-
! roads OF free or reduced rate trans
portation shall not apply to bona tide
immigration agents engaged for not
less than six months of each year in
the business of inducing immigration
into Wisconsin to settle on unim-
proved lands of the state. Another
provision of the law is that before
ton may be granted the applicant
therefor must provide himself with
a certificate from the state railroad
commission showing that he is a
bona fide immigration agent engaged
for half the time of each year in the
business pf inducing immigration
into Wisconsin to settle upon the
unimproved lands within the state.
The railroad commission has pre-.
pared three blank forms for use in
the administration of this law. The
first is an application to be used by
| the agent. He is required to make
oath to his personal description
business and various other facts re-
quired by the commission. The com
| mission, if the representations of the
agent be satisfactory, issues a certlti-
cate which may be used by the agent
as credentials with the railroad com
panies. A third blank is prepared on
which the agent is required to make
a report each month, under oath,
setting forth the travel in detail,
| also the location of the land proposed
to be settled, and the parties with
whom business was transacted. Pre-
sumably these reports will be checked
up so that the commission may be
satisfied that the purpose and pro-
visions of the law are not violated.
The language of the law limiting the
use of this transportation to agents
inducing immigration from outside
to within Wisconsin, is interpreted
to exclude from participation in it's
benefits such agents as are engaged
in the business of selling unim-
proved lands to people who are al
ready residents of Wisconsin The
railroad commission has apparently
taken a somewhat liberal view of
this matter. closing the door against
such business only as NAV be cal
culated to cause we'll established
persons, citizens and voters, to re-
move from one place in Wisconsin
to another. The legislative intent
seems to have been that facility
should be afforded in the business of
attracting immigrants from outside
OF Wisconsin and unsettled residents
in Wisconsin to settle on unimproved
lands in the state, but that it was
not particularly advantageous to the
state for agents to induce established
farmers of southern Wisconsin to
sell out and remove to cheap lands
up north.
Just what kind of reduced rates
will be accorded to immigration
agents is matter for the railroads
to determine.