Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-02-05
Southwest Washington Set
tiers Agency Endeavoring
to Get Swiss Immigrants
GERMANS ALSO SOUGHT
Plan to Carry on Active
Campaign in Northern
European Countries

The report of Erskine r. Merrel
of Chehalis before the South West
| Washington Settlers agency, contains
some excellent information in what
is being done towards settling the
| logged-off lands of this section with
colonies from Switzerland Germany
and other European countries. The
report in substance follows
Five year contracts will greatly
facilitate negotiations of the agency
with the Emigration officials of Nor
thern Europe, who require from Is
to "a months time to land a colony.
And they will not sign a contract to
engage in such an undertaking, un-
less the Agency will, as condition
thereof, reserve for a specified time
| for the location of such colonies, GER
tain specific sections and fractions
/ thereof, sufficient for the needs of
the prospective emigrants.
Long before the Settlers Agency
was determined, took up the coloni-
1ation problem for the Citizens club
of Chehalis, looking to the utilization
Of Lewis County logged-ofT lands. In
January, 1911, I opened up cores
pondence with the United Catholic
| Colonization Society, through julius
Devos of Chicago. Recently, ! re-
ceiyed as Secretary Of the Citizens
! Club, of Chehalis, bona fde applica-
ton for 5000 acres for 100 Catholic
families, which is now under negotia-
ton.
IN August, 1911, I commenced cor
respondence With five newspapers in
Switzerland, referring them to their
Consul in Portland for confirmation
of the reliability of our correspond,
ence and booklets regarding climate
soil and productions of Lewis Coun.
ty.
Recently, I received from the Swiss
Consul letter stating that my state
ments had been found correct, and
that he was prepared to cooperate
for the location of emigrant farmers
from Switzerland, in Western Wash
ington and Oregon, where the hills
and valleys are quite similar to Swift
erland, though less rugged and steep
stating his belief that people in the
contested districts of Switzerland
would find our mild climate, fertile
and long growing season congenial to
successful homebuilding. l supplied
the Consul with the literaure of the
Settlers Agency, which he has prom
ised to translate into French and Ger
man, and submit it to the Swiss pa
pers for publication
"Our Canadian Cousins adopted this
policy very successfully years ago. In
Germany, Northern Europe, Holland,
Sweden and the British Isles, Canada
has the best immigration organization
the world has ever seen. Their immi-
grafton agents are we'll supplied with
sets of slides and films fros teropti-
con exhibits of Canadian agricultural
products and live stock, with which
they illustrate free lectures at county
fairs, and others places, where farm
ers congregate.
Canadian immigration agents have
succeeded in getting Canadian geog-
raphy taught in nearly 1000 schools
in Belgium and Holland The result
of the Canadian system is that So
per cent of their emigrants settle on
farms. The emigration agents en-
courage, thrifty, Industrious emigrants
who will settle on farms, and discour-
age prospective emigrapts who prefer
common day labor in the cities.
Every winter, the Dominion Gov
ernment sends as delegates, repre-
sentative Canadian farmers to Eng
land, Ireland and Scotland. In the
winter of 1901, one delegate went
from New Brunswick, one each from
British Columbia and Ontario, eight
from Manitoba, and 10 each from AL.
berta and Saskatchewan The South
west Washington Settlers Agency
should thoroughly consider these Ca.
madam systems of organization for Sc
curing quick results.
"The Swiss Consul at Portland in
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