The farmer and mechanic., 1910-06-14
A NEW ST. HELENA
IpUJJCE. F'ERRERC.
(From the SurVey.)

the large American clueS' a. ts hx,
fully overcrowded; that III ,bors
settlinr so numerously in the narpo.'
setti-n6 errive or in thickly set
ttad in5ustrial centres, bear iaIse
hsra of the responsibility ana the
bosyiast part of the burden OF TINS
overcrowding. is only too Wen h,iow ~ -
Back to the country IS the go
crv Of those who propose TO llnu
raajcai and permanent remedy lor the
a,,il The country is better fitted lor
man in general and IS pafuculdiiS
good for immigrants, most OF "i1oni
come from the peasant STOCK ol -
rope, ignorant of the factory sriho
that awai,3 them mere anu qui'e
prepared Tor it. Back to the couh-
trv' is an able synthetic way TO ex
nress desirable program; but II
saws nothing of the most dlfncult pdi
of the problem--how to DO IL. oiiilp
ly to tell the. immigrant 10 30 anu
start out for himself on a farm, "iiicH
he ought to buy or on western
nl.irn to which he must travel 1000
miles. is at best useless and at Worst
dersive.
The Immigrant arrives in this coun-
try practically penniless, often pur
dened with the debt of his porro"eu
massage money Necessity comPeiS
him to stav where he lands and to
get the nearest employment that OIL
fars itself Moreover, the immigrant
to whom the language and the Gus
toms of this country are a blahh' dhu
who is to his misfortune, not allo-
gether unreasonabIy diffident natur-
allv drifts where he han meet MS own
kind, speak his own language, eat his
Wonted food: the call of his blOod
comes to him much more rarely from
the country than from the congesteo
foreign agglomerations in the cities.
SO the aggregation SWellS, ana once
IL, lnI "
a strong net of sentimental ana ousl-
ness associations promptly forms
around him. and holds him so fast
that it is next to impossible to dis
lodge him.
The suggestion that the immigrant
buy a farm or take up claim IS
mpty He as no money to buy or
to travel; he does not trust the land
seller and he does not want to go
and live a lonely life among strangers
who do not understand him. A few
of the most adventurous Immigrants
will buy in later years and work their
own land; but their number is so small
that it can hardly have any value as
a factor in a back to the country
movement.
The immigrant and the penniless
city dweller might perhaps begin a
career in the country by hiring them
selves out as day iaborers. There is
hands, especially during harvest time,
and one might fancy that such
great demand should cause rush in
the supply. 1t is not so, however. The
work on farms is too unstable, the
wages paid are too small, to attract
even foreign peasant. He can do
better in the city or on rough rail
road work; besides, the treatment and
accommodations he usually gets on a
farm are far from being ideal, even
for him. The prejudice that the for
eigner' who applies for work is moro
an animal or a thing than a man Is
yet too widely spread among Amerf-
can farmers. Meanwhile. the present
immigrant stays in the city though
he is often an excellent farmer. and
great stores Of energy precious to the
country are thereby wasted.
The real problem is. therefore, to
find way of inducing immigrants,
no matter how low their resources
may be, to move on to the country
as soon as they land. Perhaps not
many people have so far given serf~
Gus effort to reach it's solution; but at
least one attempt has been made, and
since it is both successful and in pro-
cess of extension. 1t is worthy OF no
tice and Of imitation. The desire Of
a wealthy North Carolinian to foster
the interests and the development of
his State furthered by his innate phil
motive Of the enterprise. Incidentally
it appeared that the attempt might
resolve itself at the same time into
good business venture, and a help in
settling this embarrassing question Of
city congestion. Greater aN-rounc
satisfaction could hardly be demand
ed.
The present situation in North
Carolina. a situation representative of
all Southern States without mineral
resources, may be thus briefly de-
scribed-immense tracts Of excellent
soil and no hands to work it. Upon
these fertile lands grow vast forests
of pine and cedaEs: water stagnates in
fmpassable swamps; mosquitoes and
malaria proper-wild. desolate soli-
tudes through which the train speeds
for miles on single track road with
out sight of a house. The land is
good. but who could venture into such
wilderness without money and the
collaboration of railroads and agents