The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-11-24
IMMIGRANTS
By Millions Are Expected To
Come To America
When The War In Europe
Subsidies Somewhat

Chicago. ILL.,, Nov. 2S-Every rail-
road in the south and west will co.
operate with the government in dis
tributing the millions of immigrants
which are expected to come to Amer.
lea when the European war subsidies
The Norfolk and Western has Of
fered $4,000 acres which the company
owns in Virginia, and many other
lines will follow suit, for the railroads
have awakened to the opportunity to
increase the settlements along their
lines. The Atchinson and Great
Northern are large owners of land in
the West, and are considering plans
for opening the land on easy terms to
alien farmers.
According to James j. Hill, the plan
depends for success on the class OF
immigrants that will come. While
there are many difficulties to be en-.
countered in reaching basis of dis
tribution which would appeal to the
aliens and at the same time be equit-
able to the stockholders of the rail-
roads, there is much optimism ex-
pressed by railroad men.
The immigration flow has fallen off
Is per cent since the opening of the
European war, but food of new.
comers is anticipated as soon as the
stricken peoples can get accommoda-
tions on the transatlantic liners.
The United States Government re.
alizes the seriousness of the situation,
and is already planning to take care
of the immigration, particularly with a
view to turning it away from the
cities and Industrial centers and plac-
ing it where it is most needed, on the
forms.
The railroad men, through the Rail-
road Development Association, will
cooperate with the government
scheme, which includes the utilization
Of the agents of the Department of
Agriculture, the immigration officials
at ports of entry. and the postoffice
department. The, postoffice depart
ment will be utilized for the collec-
tion of information both from the em-
ployers and from those who want
work. This information will be avail
able both locally and at the ports of
entry, and the needs of the farmers
and the opportunities in rural dis
tricts will be met, as far as possible,
BY this cooperative effort.
1t is pointed out by government
statisticians that nearly three-fourths |
OF the immigrants, or 72 per cent, |
have remained in the large cities of
America. New York alone has 2,0O0,- |
900 foreign-born. Chicago has 7S3,000.
Philadelphia $4,000, Boston 243,OO0
and Cleveland 10000. Fall River,
one of the cotton mill towns of New |
England, has 42,7 per cent of its pop |
uiation of foreign-born immigrants.
The plan adopted by the Railway !
Development Association was suggest:
ed by a commission in Belgium which !
is studying conditions there and try
ing to find some way to relieve the
people who will suffer at the end of |
the war. That this suffering will be in
tensified when the army disbands, and
the soldiers return home to find their !!
farms devastated, is expected by the
Belgium commission.
F. H. LaBaume, president of the |
railway organization, says; "The
railroads OF the country are among |
the largest owners of farm lands in
the world. These immigrants, Ii left |
to shift for themselves, will congre-
gate in the cities and increase con-
gestion. If the railroads will under
stand every farmer who settles along
their right Of way means more busi-
ness, they should be willing to donate
a section of land, to be cut into small
tracts and sold or leased on small
rentals. The plan I would suggest is
to sell the farms at as low figure as
possible, giving the immigrant plenty
of time to pay"