The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-07-22
NEW COMERS
BUYING LAND
STATE IMMIGRATION BUREAU IS
BOOMING MISSOURI LANDS
AND MINERALS.
Denied Money by the state, Commits
sloners Are Operating With Aid
Of Banks and Making Latent
Resources Worth Millions.


grafton was organized August 10th,
1909, with j. H. Curran as chief COM
missioner, w. H. Johnson of Spring
field, auditor, and Christian Hansen
of Conway, secretary. The appropria-
ton of $25, 1000 for the biennial period
was held up by the auditor of state as
not having been legally passed. How
ever, the money was advanced by the
banks Of st. Louis, Kansas City and
Springfield, and the commission went
to work. The need for the commits
sion was in the utilization of millions
of acres Of land idle and uncultivated
and countless undeveloped
with no means Of attracting investors.
The problem of the commission was
to advertise these to the
world so as to induce immigration and
bring capital to the state. Every pos
sible avenue has been used by the
commission to accomplish this end.
Newspapers Of the state and Of the
United States have been furnished
with news stories, and thousands OF
columns have been printed about Mis-
souri, In newspapers and periodicals
all over the country. In order to give
rise to these news stories and to call
attention to particular regions and
cities, land congresses have been held
al different points in the state, in
which leading citizens of Missouri and
other states have occupied the plat
form in the discussion Of agriculture
and Industrial development. Other
congresses are being planned, to be
held during the summer and autumn,
winding up in December with a mon
ster land show and back to the
farm" congress to be held in st. Louis
for a week, beginning December 18th.
In connection with these big meet
inss, which have all been under the
patronage of the governor, a number
Of exploitation trips have been
planned and executed, and various
prominent Missouri citizens and rep
resentatives Of the Missouri and the
Eastern press, headed by Governor
Hadley, have gone into undeveloped
sections Of the state for the purpose
of putting them into the limelight and
attracting the people to their undevel-
oped agricultural and other resources.
Other trips of this kind are being
planned and will be executed as rapid
ly as possible. Those so far conduct
cd have been extremely successful,
and have done each locality, as well
as Missouri at large, great good.
Not less than n hundred meet.
ings Of similar nature have been held
throughout the state since the organ.
ization of the commission, all having
the effect not only of attracting out
siders to the locality but of awaken.
ing a spirit Of cooperation and mu-
tual help among the people, which is
absolutely essential il the state is to
make the progress desired.
Sixty-three commercial clubs have
been organized since the work of
the commission started, most of them,
either directly or indirectly, aided in
their organization by the Board Of
immigration. A number of prize con-
tests have been completed, notably
one for the best five-acre farm plan,
n for best essays on Missouri and
Her Resources" and the national con.
test for the greatest number of words
constructed out of the words Mis-
souri, Homes" Tens of thousands of
people have participated in these con.
tests, and the result has been not
only to raise the estimate of the state
among her " people, but to make
Missouri the most talked of state in
the Union. Instead of being talked
OF now as the home of Jesse James
she 10 being talked of as the most
state in the Union, Offering
ideal homes for all classes.
The immigration department has
to cooperate with every
department Of the state government
and to aid them in exploiting their
particular work. The State Univer.
sity and the College OF Agriculture
been given a great deal OF at.
tention, al we'll as the dairy depart.
ment, state highway department, the
department Of geology and others.
oCIuui IonuiJ VI Lhlb campaign
publicity has 30 far been very graf.
While at this time correct
are not at hand 1t Is est. |
mated that no less than 10000 people
have secured permanent homes in
Missouri since August is, 1909, while
many more are planning to immigrate
Missouri from other states. 1t is
estimated that each one Of these fam.
LIES will produce $500 worth OF prod
lcts annually and will add to the
states wealth IS, zoo. 900 per year. In.
1ustries innumerable have been start
and are in embryo in the undevel-
oped sections. and while this depart
OF the work of the board Is not
yet thoroughly In order, a few months
will e a campaign laid out on in.
lines, working hard to at.
.ract industries of all kinds to the