The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-04-04

~~AAN
tent does this apply to Louisiana:
This spirit is likely to be prevalent
in any community. This element is
likely to be present anywhere an6
therefore in some measure may be
found in the state. II the complaints
made by companies operating in the
sale of Louisiana lands and by set
Tiers themselves are true this spirit
has shown itself in some parts of the
state. Wherever it prevails it ought
to be eradicated. We must cultivate
the opposite; the spirit of enterprise
the spirit of optimism, the spirit OF
Weleome-the true booster spirit.
do not believe that our people could
be possessed Of such spirit except
through a misunderstanding of a
particular enterprise or project. We
are not particularly prone to pro.
nounced antagonism or prejudice
We are, however, I believe possessed
unduly of a spirit of pessimism, OF
want of confidence in the quality OF
our wares.
Some of it can be traced to fail.
ures, to adverse circumstances, but
more of it to the fact that we have
confined ourselves too exclusively
for years to single lines of endeavor
and have not given a thoroughly
broad study to our own manifold re.
sources.
In moment of distress We find
| that we have been caught mapping
and in our sudden awakening We are
confused as to our bearings. We
cannot advise others and cannot
teach them because we ourselves
have not definite and accurate in
| formation. In an obscure way we
/ feel that we have every inducement
to attract the stranger, but we can
not point it out definitely enough
to convince the practical inquirer.
Yet the facts are so plentiful and so
patent that they might, with little
| difficulty, be realized and effectively
placed before others.
| In the work of the agricultural ex-
| tension department of the United
States government, both in the sex-
perimental stations and on the small
farms, through the instruction of
alton agents and in the ef-
forts of some of our more progressive
farmers, we have plain, visible and
numerous proofs of productive eapac-
ity that in quality, variety and kind
can challenge the attention and the
admiration Of the world.
| What we need is the spirit of in
itiatiVe that will apply this KnoWI-
edge acquired by study and expert.
ence to the development of every acre
| of our rich soil II we are inactive
| and uninVentive the period of transi-
ton will be longer and the develop
ment of the state will be retarded.
If we are Indifferent or antagonistic
the change will come despite US and
content to follow instead of lead
ing. The transition need not be
violent. It will not be violent. It
| need not be carried out on a scale
more extensive than warrant our
means, but it must be inaugurated
and carried out. If slowly, at least
with patience, courage and convic-
/ tion. We have the goods to de-
liver. Why then re1egate them to
| the ash barrel from want Of energy
to dust them and to hang them up.
Opportunities are in our hands that
| in many parts of the country would
be capitalized into the billions of
dollars. Given the typical western
ginger, grit, getup and go, with the
most productive soil and climate on
earth, and Louisiana were very
Garden of Allah.
We need the stranger, the suit
| able and desirable stranger We
must have him. In order to get him
we must actually go out after him.
It is only by cooperative energy
and with a unified spirit that we
can spread the good news abroad
and make it bear fruit. We must
not only advance our claims, but
urge others to consider them, and
when they are convinced we must
genuinely rejoice in their conversion.
We must develop the Welcome strang-
er spirit industrially, just as our
New Orleans people develop and
cultivate it socially during their Mar
di Gras festivities. We must let
the contagion of welcome and good
will go abroad until it is descriptive
Of Louisiana people industrially as
well as socially. It seems almost a
loss of time to mention such things,
but the want of it is patent and is
more general than is commonly sup
posed.
! There are two preliminary condi-
tions to healthy and successful
immigration into the state. One is
our own realization of the possibili-
ties that go a-begging for recognition
in our own state. With the realiza-
ton is an effort to demonstrate by
producing. We must not only have
confidence in the producing capacity
of our land, but must be able to de-
| monstrate to those who seek desir-
able location for new homes or prom
Using fields for new capital. This
must be advertised so clearly, SO
strongly and so widely by recognized
and trustworthy authorities that no
one may doubt that success must fol
low any honest individual effort Add
ed to this we should receive them
cordially and welcome them warmly
by word and action.
who have signed them. This is
what this section has sorely been in
/ ~