The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-10-31
BELG|lNs FOR LOUISIANA.
Movement Inauaurated to Bring to
This State Large Number Of
Thrifty Families Rendered Home
less by European War.

The Times-Picayune reports that
preliminary steps to a concerted
movement upon the part of various
interests to bring to Louisiana at
once 100 Of the thrifty Belgian farm
er families rendered homeless by the
war were taken at a conference held
Tuesday in the office of Neal M.
Leach, traffic manager of the Texas
& Pacific Railroad.
The plan is to bring these families
here as the advance guard to many
thousand others, and as the Belgians
nave been made absolutely destitute
by the war, means will be sought
to make some suitable arrangement
with land owners. by which the i'm
migrants may be placed on the lands
under conditions they can meet-con-
ditions that will be favorable to all
concerned.
Mr.. Leach arranged the meeting Of
tuesday. Several weeks ago he was
in London and saw the sturdy Bel
gian farmers who were homeless ref
ugees in the British capital, and the
thought at once presented itself that
they would make the best class of
immigrants for the Louisiana lands
that now lie undeyeloped.
There were present at the confer
ence Father ]. B. Bogaerts of St.
AIMS Church, New Orleans, who
spent all of last summer in Belgium;
James J. Mclaughlin, representing
the Catholic Colonization Society; F.
B. Lemann, Joseph Burguieres and
Charles Godchaux, prominent sugar
planters; r. H. Pollock of Donaldson
vile, R. S. Vickers, secretary of the
South Louisiana immigration Asso-
citation, and E. P. Gueymard. in
charge Of immigration in Louisiana
for the Texas & Pacific Railroad. M.
j. Sanders, manager of the Leyland
steamship line, was unable to at
tend, but sent word of his willing
ness to cooperate In the movement.
Mr.. Leach told OF his observations
In London, and of the vast number
of destitute Belgian farmers he had
seen in that city, and Father Bo-
gaerts spoke at some length Of his
visit to Belgium just before the out
break of the war. He said he had
fndustrfously talked up Louisiana to
the farmers, and had heard Of many
complimentary things regarding Lou
isiana and the United States publish
ed in the Belgian papers. stThey
know OF US over there" said the
priest, "and / am quite sure they
would welcome a chance to come to
this state and live. They are fine
Glass Of people, thrifty, Industrious
and patriotic, anes would prove a val
suable addition % the population OF
any state.
After much discussion it was de-
cided to set about at once obtaining
Information concerning conditions
among the Belgian refugees in Lon
don, and the possibility of recruit
ing thousands of desirable immi-
grants for Louisiana from among this
number. The information will be
sought through agents of steamship
lines, and through the Texas & Pa
cific agency in Liverpool. 1t was al
so decided to get the cooperation of
the State immigration Department in
the movement, and to seek at once
information from the United States
Department on imm1gra-
tfon rules and regulations that may
guide the conference in it's further
course.
It was suggested that a meeting
of interested 1andholders should be
held in order to learn what proposi-
ton could be made to the Belgian
and to devise the most
favorable conditions under which
the refugees could take the land
Justin F. Denechaud, secretary Of
the State immigration Commission,
was named chairman of the commit
tee to arrange this meeting. The
other members Of Mr. Denechaud's
are Mr.. Vickers and Mr.
Mr.. Leach pointed out that now
was the opportunity to get Belgian
farmers for the tenantless lands of
as in England there is
no law against the solicitation of
Such laws are in force,
however, in the countries of con-
tinentaI Europe.
Another meeting will be held
soon and all the Louisiana railroad
lines and planters from every part
Of the state invited to participate.
It is a big project, . said Mr.
Leach, "but I believe under present
conditions it can be put through cas-
lily. It will mean much to the state
IN the way of the development we
most desire.''
State Normal School Notes.