The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-06-11
CREATION OF
IMMIGRATION
BUREAU URGED
n. q. RALsToN, A PROMINENT
MIAMI CITIZEN, WRITES INTER
EsTINo LETTERS ON SUBJECT
FLETCHER Is ALSO INTER
EsTED.

The Times Union OF yesterday says:
Earnestly urging the establishment of
an immigration bureau in the state OF
Florida, an interesting letter relative
to the matter from II. G. Ralston, a
prominent citizen OF Miami, has been
received In Jacksonville and referred
to the board Of governors OF the local
board OF trade.
In this connection, United States
Senator D. u. Fletcher, who 10 vftally
interested in the subject, has handed
down a recommendation to the gov
ernors that they endorse the project.
The letter in question from MIR. Raj
ston Is as follows:
I'm a recent letter TO the Hon. B. r.
McLfn, commissioners of agriculture.
United States Senator d. o. Fletcher
recommended strongly the establish
ment of an immigration bureau for
the state of Florida.
"That such an enterprise would be
q paying proposition needs no proof
Florida has long suffered because
there has been a lack Of official data
upon which the prospective immigrant
could base his future plans.
"It seems to me that the ctIfef du-
ties of such an immigration bureau
would be two-fold: First, to interest
the man who has decided to make
change in the possibilities Of Florida;
ard SECONDLY, this having been accom-
plished, to give him information re-
gardfng the country, climate, soil,
crops, etc.
Many Land Companies.
''The many land companies operating
in Florida today are accomplishing the
former. to an enormous extent. but
how many are doing 30 by misrepre-
sentation is an undetermined question.
Be this as 1t may, the tide of tmmi-
grafton is certainly swinging toward
Florida today.
''This fact being admitted, it Is then
I'D to the state to concentrate on post
ing the settlers on all questions which
naturally arise in their very inquisi-
tive rydnds. An up-to- date and wide
awake immigration bureau might d.
vide the state into districts having
silrilar soils. and into districts having
similar cliTcakes. Tncy could easily
get out up-to-date nteEature telling
the possibilities of each of these dis
ttscts, their health conditions, trans
Glrtattor facilities, etc They might
eken SO further and check up. to the
best OF tho!= ability, the different land
cDn7pantes' operations in each of these
districts. BY so doing they would be
IN a position to either recommend or
condemn specific propositions offered
to the prospective settler.
|. Interested Party.
Il AT present there is no way for an
Interested party to find out anything
specific about any particular tract Of
land, or of any particular company,
land so all land companies seem to be
aplaced under a great ban. regardless
of whether they are trying to play
the game fairly or otherwise.
81 know with regard to the Ever
slades in particular that at present
the state has no up-to-date literature
which it can furnish to the thousands
who have been interested in this coun-
try by the various land companies.
Through the drainage of the Ever
gIades is probably the largest reclama-
tion project in the United States today,
u hough thousands upon thousands have
( ecame interested therein, the state
n rs nothing up-to-date or authorita-
I've which can be mailed out in reply
I othe many inquiries that such &
I reject is bound to draw forth from
he prospective settlers For this rea-
\ on, great harm is undoubtedly done
D South Florida as a whole, and
u therefore, to the various cities upon
T. he coast There are many settlers
i ndoubtsGly lost who would have been
Z aved us by some official and authori-
psative information.
Same Conditions.
IT have no doubt that the same con-
ditions prevail with regard to other
parts of this state 1t is nobody's fault
IN particular, as the COIlLIllSSfOuS1 OF
agriculture at Tallahassee Is undoubt-
sedly overworked with his other duties.
considering the above facts 1t seems
that it ought to be of interest to every
man in the state to see that a hive i'm
migration bureau is Immediately es-
tablished at Tallahassee, and that such
a bureau carries an appropriation SUI
ficient to study the state part by part
and TO assemble the results of such
study in an attractive and up-to-date
way.
There are of course many other
ways In which such an immigration
bureau would be useful to the state
Considering the above, however, It
would seem that the matter is OF suf-
ficient importance to cause immediate
action by all boards of trade of the
state as well as all other bodies which
might be supposed to carry weight at
Tallahassee"