The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-09
EXPERIENCE OFF EAST WILL HELP
SOLVE NEW PROB
LENS.
WEST WANTS FARMERS
EUROPEAN IMMEGRANTs DESIRED
IN GREATER NUMBERS BE
CAUSE THEY SETTLE IN
RURAL SECTIONS.

Panama canal provides short cut
from Europe to the Pacific coast
Governor johnson appointed com
mission last summer to study this
question and the commission has
drafted a bill to go before the Cal
ifornia legislature, creating perman-
emit immigration commission.
The Pacific coast has the advan
tage Of the experience OF the East It
has the advantage also of Icing able
to determine in advance to n consid
cradle extent the quantity and quality
of the Immigration which it will re-
ceive. Il
THE sams questions which the
West coast will have to face says
Robert Newton Lynch. OF the Cover
nor's commission. writing in Sunset.
have been threshed out elsewhere
with much iribulation. I
like New York.
San Francisco, for example, Is In
the same position that New YORK was
] forty years ago, but with tn. immense
advantage of knowing what will hap
4 pen under given conditions OF i'm
migration. 1t Is possible to compute
I at this time with approximate accur-
\ acy the number of tons of freight that
will come from Europe to Pacific coast
ports The influences and conditions
4 that cause people to migrate may be
almost as unerringly reckoned by care /
q full and pa@ient study. In other words.
4 California, in facing this new ex-
4 perience, Is in reality facing an old
4 and much considered situation and
need make few guesses as ID what viii
4 happen, nor hesitate long before the
4 obvious course to be followed.
California is attractive 10 the for
d eigner. This la evidenced by the fact
that nearly II quarter of the States
u present popula ton Is foreign born. An
n average of sixty per cent o. these for
a eign- born residents live outside the
u cities of $4,000 population and are
81 largely occupied upon the soil. In
u fact. almost the normal percentage OF
N farmers In the total immigration OF
n the country have actually found their
N way to the land This Is In strong
N contrast to the East where only ten
" per cent Of the agricultural immigrants
D find their way to the rural districts.
IN The excellent farm land about
b Fresno has been the Mecca of many
III foreign tongues. 1t Is there that the
" German Americans are demonstrating
~ their faculty of rapid advancement
W from laborers TO renters and through
ID that class to the dignity and thrift OF
~~ farm owners.
Cup in the lumber camps of the
north coasts big timber, the Firms
are esteemed the most desirable OF
workmen; many of them have also
m with notable success.
u interesting Example.
Ia AN interesting example or immi-
u grant contribution to our agriculture
Ia that of the Daimatians and their
apple growing down in the PaJaro
D. Valley OF California Accustomed to
the rocky sleeps of Dalmatia, where
each tree receives as solicitous care
as an infant because of Its economic
Importance to the family existence.
the Daimatian has learned to know
d his trees~root, stem and fruit-as
an few Americans take time to do. Con-
he seauentiy II was the Dalmatians who
W saw the possibilities in the neglected
orchards scattered through the dis
II trict They rented the trees and
demonstrated their fruitfulness. with
he the result that some $500 carloads OF
"A apples are now annually shipped out
OF this valley.
Ell ''Of all the Portuguese in the United
pie States. two-hfths are located In Call
mt fornia From Sacramento to Fresno
ter down the rich Interior valleys, are
found their gardens. orchards and
of dairies. A half-tour ride from San
IL Francisco across the bay into Alameda
m county puts one into the midst of a
ie- thrifty region of Portuguese small
Tor farms devoted to vegetables and fruit
Ia Like the Italian. the Portuguese takes
fAii no chances OH Wtdi iik ohk AhC co'
OF his farm.
he Immigration into California has
Dr.. been largely filtered through the
i'd Eastern States and we have received
m" the more thrifty, industrious. and
ass daring. Possibly this is one reason
'as why the immigrant In California ha'
ay' proven uniformly blessing. Oui
'ur foreign farmers have brought Will
no them an intimate knowledge of the
soil and a skill in intensive cultiva
10y ton which have done much to plact
oh this State to the fore as the home
~" OF the successful small farmer.
Italians of the Coast
~ The Italian has found In Cali
=" fornia a grateful climate and agricul
tural conditions which approximate
those OF his own beloved Italy. Dur
ing the last dozen years mere Norti
Italians have come to the Pacific coas
he thany any other European race, Man.
lgs Of the great vineyards and wineries
on throughout California are in their cap
I'd able hands The hills and valleys o
-- San Franchises rural southern SID
arc checkered with their year-rount
"a gardens. AT Ftshcrman's wharf thu
E fleet OF lateen sails Ia reminiscent @
N Mediterranean waters. and. indeed. tn
n entire fishing feet. whether equipped
d with sail uc more modern and reliable
q gasoline engine, belongs to the ltal
y fans The substantial banks bearing
N Italian names are witness to the pros
III perity OF the Italian American.
b '~rhe develc pment OF the grape In
III dustry has been shared with the Ital
III ians, by the French and Swiss people
n The French are rather fonder Of thu
b cities than the other races mention
81 ed, but the Swiss love the country and
N many successful dairies are being rur
n by them.
Il instances OF immigrant prospertt,
III and contribution might be multiplied
NJ Whatever the record of the immigran
N has been in other parts Of the Unitet
III States, It would be ungratefu: for Can
N fornia in particular to credit him with
n anything but industry and homes
ri citizenship within her borders.
N Success of Foreigners.
THE number and success OF the for
II eign- born already in California Nigh
n be taken as one argument for the easl
" assumption that California Will b.
II Hooded with immigrants after thu
n opening Of the canal. This assump
Il ton Is not borne out by analysis. IL
asx