Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-08-22
WOULD BRING ALL IMMIGRANTS SOUTH New Orleans Association of Commerce Calls Meeting
 at New York PAGE WILL ATTEND Will Ask Steamship Lines Operating
 Boats From Eastern Ports
 Direct to New Orleans.
PAGE WILL ATTEND

lation to the rich agricultural sec tions of the Mississippi Valley, the New Orleans Association of Commerce has launched movement to have the steamship lines operate a steamship from the Eastern seaports to New Orleans. They desire in this the CO., operation of %he railroad officials commercial secretaries, immigration agents and steampship representatives of the United States.
 With this in view the New Orleans Association of Commerce has called conference of the secretaries of com mercial organizations if the Missis- sippi Valley, general passenger agents and general agents of all steamship lines entering the United States, to be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in New York City, September 17-1S.
 M. B. Tresevant, secretary of the New Orleans Association of Commerce, has been working on this scheme for two months, and has taken the mat. ter up with c. c. Kirkpatrick of the Chamber of Commerce and John H. Page, commissioner of agriculture, through extensive correspondence They will both attend the conference
 Purpose of the Meeting.
 One of the chief purposes of this meeting is to make New Orleans a port of entry for foreign immigrants com ing into our borders. They will be re- ceived at New Orleans instead of New York. Another plan that will be dis cussed is the feasibility of operating steamships to New Orleans and us- ing the new immigration station that has recently been erected there. It is the plan now to make this station the "Ellis Island' of the South. This stat ion is capable of handling 2,OOO immi- frants per day.
 One of the reasons why Arkansas should be interested, it is shown, is the cost of transportation From New Orleans to Little Rock the fare is bu. $9.75, while the fare to Little Rock from New York is $27.15. This differ ence in the fare emphasizes the diff ference in mileage between the three cities. This means that Arkansas will have better chance to get these im- migrants than if they landed at New York or any of the other seaport towns.
 Soutl's Opportunities.
 Another significant reason brought out in this connection is that the south offers in the Mississippi Valley better chances for agricultural devel- opment than practically any other sec tion in the United States Along this line it is proposed to show at this con- ference, the resources of the states in the Mississippi Valley and furnish this information to all the railroad and steamship lines. Health conditions will be shown, also reports relative to schools, churches, price of land and general advantages.
 Approved By Kirkpatrick.
 q believe the movement is in the right direction" said c. C. Kirkpat- rick, secretary of the Chamber ol Commerce, especially in view of the opening of the Panama Canal and the impetus this will give the development of the south. believe this will give us the opportunity of securing some of the better class of immigrants. We need good farmers from the agricul- tural regions of Europe to develop our state. A trained farmer from the great farm lands of Europe is worth far more than an untrained man from another state We have cheap land, and we want these people to come here and develop it. It should be the aim of every commercial organization in the south to grasp this opportunity, and when the tide of immigration begins to beat upon our border lines we should be prepared to care for it."
 At this meeting immigration con- missioners from Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and the commer- cial secretaries from such towns as Birmingham, Memphis, Little Rock, Shreveport, Nashville. Vicksburg, Monroe, and other points, will be pres ent.@