New-York tribune., 1910-01-06
ALIENS md F4RMS.
Plea for Directing Immigrants
to II gricuIturuI Work.


To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In response To your article More
Farmers Needed" permit me to say: In
! the countries from which the greatest num-
ber OF our recently arrived immigrants
Hungarians, Italians and Slavs-come the
chief industry. almost the exclusive one. is
agriculture. The bulk Of these immigrants
are skilled farmers. Such peasants toll
here In mining. construction work and
factories and at other manual labor; they
save part OF their earnings for the one
purpose of purchasing tillable land and
as soon as possible re-engage In agricuIt-
ure.
multitude OF concerns styled private
oanks engaged In transmitting the saw
ings of immigrants to their respective
native countries and in the sale of steer
age tickets, stimulate this The sums thus
exported amount annually TO over $500
WOWO; in panic years to over twice as
much. The number of femigrants is over
~ per cent of all arrivals. Only the thrifty
immigrants are enticed to go back the
spendthTifts and paupers are left here
The influx OF this American money caused
in certain parts of Europe the rising OF the
price Of land to fabulous heights num-
Der of the remigrants discover in time
that 1t Is impossible to make a living on
the land which they purchased in their
native country for exOrbitant prices They
sell 1t for fraction of what they pay
and come back to the United States de-
prived OF their savings. discouraged and
decrepit.
The masses of immigrants do not know
that farms can be acquired here-that good
farms with improvements can be bought
in New York State for from SO to s25 an
acre. The Department of Agriculture of
New York State does, on a small scale
disseminate Information to immigrants
However experience in the last two years
has proved that only unsatisfactory re-
suits can be achieved with insufficient ia
cilities.
Our native young men and women for
sake the farms and flock in steadily in
creasing numbers to the cities, to stay
there permanently Our peasant mmi-
grants are skilled farmers. They know
from experience how to keep the soil
fertile They come from soil which is
highly productive after having been culti-
waited for thousand years. They could
be induced to take up farm work in place
of those who abandon agriculture. Such
farmer immigrants are determined 10 re-
engage In agriculture just as soon as suf-
fcient funds are saved to secure land. II
they are not directed to our farms they
will buy farms in Europe. and we will con-
tinue to lose the best OF them and suffer
yet greater injury to our already decadent
agricultural resources.
The export of the savings and the re-
migration of the thrifty immigrants are
artificially brought about by certain con-
Germs and their auxilaries. A multitude OF
notaries public, interpreters. shysters. en-
ployment offices, clergymen and foreign
tongue newspaper men cooperate with the
private banks in creating the present
deplorable condition. Any individual too
lazy to work in honest occupation, often
Of tainted past, can operate a private
bank" Hundreds of such concerns exist
in New York City and a multitude in this
and other states The only law in New
York State regarding them is the unen-
forced once which places them under a
bond of $4,000. This law furnishes ground
10 these institutions to pretend to be legal
ly constituted banks. such as are our state
and national banks. regulated by law and
supervised
department of immigration of the
State of New York should be established
at this session of our legislature This
office should supervise the transactions of
the bankers who are exporting the savings
of immigrants and selling them steamship
tickets This business is not banking, nor
does it include affairs which are attended
TO by our Labor Department or any other
department of New York State or the
United States. Being the cause of much
misery. it should be dealt with and correct
ed by department of the state The work
of this department should embrace the de-
lection of fraud and prevent the exploita-
tlon or foreign residents of this country. Ii
should also regularly supervise firms which
are licensed and authorized to transact the
business OF exporting amounts below $50
10 foreign countries and to sell steamship
tickets.
Another important and necessary duty
which such a department could perform
would be the information of newly arrived
immigrants. Few If any opportunities can
be found by the peasant immigrant to be-
come acquainted with American institu-
tions, methods and ideals.
The teaching and influencing of immi-
grants, especially those who have accu-
mulated funds and are ready To depart
and re-ensage in European agriculture
those hundreds of thousands who have the
means and are determined to again become
farmers and do not know that this is pos
Sible for them in this coun;Iy-would sure
ly be profitable enterprise for the state
Such imnrisrants-and their number is over
four hundred thousand year-should re-
ceiVe information of our agricultural on
portunities IN the languages which they
understand, and they should be encour-
aged. directed and assisted TO our farms
Soon there would be no idle abandoned
or partly titled farms. Demand for land
would be sure 10 ensue and would increase
values. These experienced farmer immi-
grants would also increase the fertility and
productive capacity OF our farms.
This work OF doing helpful practical
things cannot be accomplished except by a
specially appointed corps OF officials who
are qualified and competent for this work
and are supervised by a central authority.
This could and should be done by a state
department OF immigration. charged with
responsibility and endowed with the reoui-
site facilities. LAJOS STEINEp
New York, Jan. g. 1910