The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-06-23
WILL INVITE Immigrants
10 OLD MISSISSIPPI
Plan is to Offer Special Inducements
cate on the Idle Lands of the State
plan of Campaign.

Special to The Netos.
jackson. Miss, June 23.--Publicity
with central organization. controlled
by board of directors, one from each
congressional district, with a presi-
dent, secretary-manager AID treasurer
and county director in each of the
79 counties of the state. is the plan
adopted by the Statewide Immigra-
tion Convention to induce immigrants
to come to Mississippi.
This plan was decided upon by the
committee on permanent organization.
and reported to the general meeting
this morning and adopted. The plan
further specifies that everyone is elli-
gible for membership, and a certifi-
cate will be issued upon payment of
the fee of s1.00. This fee is charged
in order to raise funds to defray the
expenses of the organization, which
will be for the secretary and adver-
tising matter.
In addition, it is understood a COM
psny will be formed, growing out of
this meeting, to purchase uncultivated
lands in the state, to be sold off to
immigrants, partly improved, at mod
crate prices and on the installment
plan. This feature was discussed by
the committee, and will be referred
to the floor of the convention, as one
feasible way of attracting a desirable
class of immigrants to Mississippi.
Plan of Convention.
1t is not the plan of the convention,
as has been suggested by some, to
bring the scourings of Europe to
Mississippi, but inducements will be
held out to the small farmers of the
North and West, with view to secur-
ing the better element of farmers to
locate in this state.
With the adoption of plans for the
permanent organization. the conven-
ton took the first direct step toward
offering inducements for a desirable
class of immigrants to come to this
state. This is the most important
movement undertaken in Mississippi,
and one that, all are agreed, will add
much to the wealth of the state. With
only one-third of the lands of the
state in cultivation, Mississippi can
offer more and greater opportunities
to homeseekers than any other state.
The organization that will direct
this movement will be known as the
Mississippi Land and Development
Association. This name was selected
by the committee and adopted by the
convention. The plan of organization
was suggested by business men, after
a thorough discussion of the matter,
and it is believed it will be effective,
1t is plan that looks well on the
face of it, as it is bringing the matter
of reclaiming the waste lands of the
state down to concrete business
proposition 1t will furnish funds
with which to start the work the con-
veDtion has undertaken, and, in a year
or two, it is believed such good re-
suits will have been attained that fur.
ther work along this line will be un-
necessary.
Plan Of Organization.
Much interest was shown in the
plan of organization, and the mem
bership certificate should bring in
several thousand dollars in the next
few months. The state executive
committee will direct the work of the
nty director, who will be a bust
rs man of prominence, and the en-
E state win thus be united in one
Continued on page three)