The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-31
STATES ADVANTAGES
GET VIDE PUBLICITY
Commission in Missouri
Adopts Many Measures to
Induce immigration.

ST. LOUIS, May S1.-Several Of the
Southern States and some in the West
maintain a State commission charged
principally with advertising the re-
sources Of the Commonwealth, and
through mediums Of publicity seeking to
induce people from the outside TO be-
come permanent citizens.
These commissions are often useful in
building up the resources and working
f1rces of their States when they are
not established for the purpose of Civ
ing certain politicians fat jobs.
A good illustration Of the working
State immigration commission is found
in Missouri, where efforts are being
made with some success, 10 Induce
Northern and Eastern farmers and in
vestoTs TO come 20 that State In a
letter to G. GrosvenOr Dave, of the
Southern Commercial Congress, J. H.
Curran, chief Of the commission, de-
scribes briefly the work OF the com
mission.
Secretary Outlines Plan.
In part he SAYS:
We were organized last August, but
were not ready for business until Octo-
Der, having had trouble with our appro-
priation. In October the governor and
a party Of twenty-five State officials,
press representatives, and others took
trip of exploration through the heart
Of the Ozark regions on horseback, by
fiat boat, by logging road and afoOt,
spending a week in the most unsettled
parts OF the Mississippi valley, at times
being thirty-five miles from the railroad
'Our next object was the Organiza-
ton Of the Springfield Land Congress,
the first of a series. in which We set
pace and where We had 60,0OO people to
see our exhibits and 20 hear our back
to the farm lectures. In March the
governor and party took a trip Of ex-
plOration through the southeast Missouri
Drainage district
sour next meeting is the Ironton
Land Congress, which bids fair to
outstrip anything Of its kind ever at
tempted. We have in view another
congress in September at Moberlv. In
which northeast Missouri will partfcf-
pate, to be followed by one in st.
joseph for northwest Missouri
Prizes In Contests.
ct would be hard to recall the
smaller propositions we have enun-
ciated for publicity. We have one
contest in progress giving eighty
prizes to children of Missouri under
sixteen years Of age for essays writ
ten on Missouri and her resources. We
have another contest for citizens of
the State over sixteen years of age,
giving fve-acre farm and other
prizes for the best plan and thesis OF
hVe-acre farm We also have a con
test running giving to any citizen of
tne United states a nve-aCre farm in
the Arcadia valley for the largest
numb Der of words constructed from
letters IN the two words Missouri
homes, proper names and abbrevia-
lions barred, all words to appear in
the Century Dictionary. and no letters
. De used greater mum Der of times
nan appear in the given words.
We are arranging for a correspond
ence SchOol OF agriculture. We have
organized the real estate men into a
DOdy ana VIII recommend legislation 10
the next Legislature which viii put the
land business Of Missouri on a strong
foundation. We are investigating thor
both for farm homes and Industrial
propositions, as well as mining pos
tiers.
Mr.. Pinchot comes to Missouri for a
weeks trip soon after his return from
Europe We are taking the ten best
scholars in our school Of Journalism
for trip over the whole State and have
arranged with the local and outside
newspa pers for publicity. We have a
number Of other different propositions
In view that are not yet ready to an
nounCe."