Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1914-12-22
To Brine BGlgianS To The South.

in communication to the Board of
Trade recently asked the cooperation Of
this body in an effort to bring distressed |
Belgian families into the South
The plan that this organization has
adopted is to create influence in every
country in this territory, that is by hav-
iugla community set aside from 500 to
1000 acres which the Belgians could pur-
chase at unreasonable price and on easy
payments.
It's thought by this organization that
in the creation Ell this influence that 9TH
er families will be attracted and that
within few YEAR, the South will have a
large. population of Belgian farmers who
are wishing to emmigrate in the United
STAGES
The letter in part is as follows:
| I'VE have received nearly one hun
bred letters in answer to our circular
letter of Nov. II, offering aid for Bel
| gian settlers on the extremely generous
terms and conditions laid down in our
communication, Some of the business
mems organizations andl and companies
urged.us to send them other estters as
desirable as the Belgians, If the latter
could not be had. 1t Is clearly evident
that the whole South is keenly alive to
the necessity of putting more of its ex-
tensive tracts of idle land to work and
that there is an eager willingness to do
more for the settlers than has been offer
ed.heretotore. These unmistakable EVIL
dences OF earnest purpose encourages rs
to. again urge business mems organlz l.
tons. county associahons,l and COM
paues, and any and all organizations,
ter ested in bringing desirable people to
the South, to at once take up the ues.
ton of establishing colonies-centers OF
coloaiz stiop influence-somewha along
the lines which will be suggested in this
letter.
For something over year the col
onizaiion department of this organiza.
ton has worked largely on two phases
Southern colonization: (a) the develop.
ment of the sources Lfrom which colo.
nists may be drawn. aud 90 the study OF
the;condition upon which land is offreed
for colonization and settlement purposes
in the Southern States.
'Our work and investigations have
covered abe whole South, the Eastern
! Northern, Western aud north western
parts,of the United States. Canada and
some parts of Europe, and we have ar
rived at the following general cenclu
sions
. CT. The settlement of the South
} through colonization, in order that it may
be..of the greatest advantage to til,
! South, must be carefully guided.
2, The locations to which co,onst
are invited to come must be thoughtful
selected with reference to their adapt
bility for successful agriculture and +
Y the effect of the coIonist upon the com
!, munIiy.
: 8. A practical and mutually benef
n ciel system of financing the man who's
; principal asset is history OF successfr
agriculture must be devised and mad
operative.
e 4.EA responsible agency must b. 5
equipped as to carry on an active can
: vass in the localitsis.from which desirs
BILE colonists are drawn.
. Can not the public Spirited citizen c
your. community whether it be city
town or country, so arrange and organ
u themselves that a desirsb'e acreag
of say 500 to 1000 acres IN ght be &C
, CURED for a center of Influence. su
divided into tracts Of from 20 to 90 acre
the land to be passed upon by the Stat
agricultural authorities, the newcomer
to be5glven that kind of first aid whicl
! will help them not only to help them
selves but enable them to pay back al
advances, the land to be offered on ress
onably long time with comparativel,
. small yearly payments at reasonable
rate of interest, and expert agriculture
, supervision to be provided until 9Th,
settlers are merged into the communt,
fe of their new home.
Secretary of Labor Wilson receutl'
said: There are millions of acres o
mauless land and thousands of laudles
men. The two should Re brought t
gether.' This is the task before th'
South This is the reason for the exist
ence of the Southern Settlement anC
Development organization.