The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-06-18
Sc Tier RE- I CORDS
SMASHED THIS YEAR
More Than 5000 New Families Ar.
rive in Minnesota in 1914 Through
Efforts Of State Department.
ONE HUNDRED COME EACH WEEK
immigration Board and Commissions
Sherman Given Much Credit
Lead All in Corn Growing.

Sherman Given Much Credit
Lead All in Corn Growing.
Minnesota is this year experience
lingsa tide of immigration which has
not been exceeded since the pioneer
days. 1t is estimated that since the
opening of the year 100 families a
week have come from other states
to take up Minnesota farms and that
before the year is over 5000 new
families will be calling Minnesota
home.
Much of the credit for this popu-
lation increase is due to the efforts
Of the State Board of immigration
and Fred D. Sherman, immigration
commissioner, working under its di-
rection. Is ,.s5ss
Created Seven Years Ago.
The board was created by the leg
islature in 1907 and is composed OF
Governor Eberhart,, Secretary of
State Schmahl, State Auditor liver.
son and two members appointed by
these three, namely, former Senator
A. D. Stephens of Crookston and J.
A. Nichols of Minneapolis. This
board elects the commissioner, work
ing under its direetion
The late George Welsh was the
first to hold the office of commission
er and upon him developed the duty
Of organizing thei= This was
necessarily slow, but the subsequent
success of the department is largely
due to his foresig htI :, !.
Beard Has Many Duties.
The board is charged with collect
ing and arranging statistics in refer
ence to the resources of Minnesota,
spreading knowledge of them
throughout the country by all man
ner of advertising, Facilitating the
III o
immigration of s'such persons of good
moral character as may desire a
change of domicile" and answering
inquiries on any of these subjects.
While the program outlined is suf-
ficiently comprehensive, the limited
funds SO far placed at the disposal
of the board have netsadmitted of
undertaking any broad general cam
paign to induce homeseekers to set
tie on state lands.
Increase in Appropriations.
The appropriation for the first
year was $4,000, and for the sec
ond year $4,000. This was increas-
ed in 1909 to $4,000 annually and
in 1911 to $4,000 The 1913 leg
islature boosted the total by $4,000
The board has specialized in ad-
vertising the resources of the state
by the following methods: =
Advertising in various publica-
tions which reach the farm homes
of other states. 49, y.
Sending out each winter, an ex.
hibit car, filled with samples of the
agricultural product1 Of the state
and also the minerals found here.
| Using moving pictures of Mime.
sofa scenes in connection with the
exhibit car and at state and loca
fairs and other gatherings.
Preparing and distributing htera
ture as to the resources of Mime
sofa.
/ Accurate Record Not Kept.
| While the department has nj
method by which it can make an &C
curate estimate of the number o
people who have been attracted t
/ Minnesota through its adyertisin!
/ campaigns, it is significant that dur
| ing the last three years there ha
lbeen a considerable immigration in
to Minnesota from the states whic
have been traversed by the -exhibi
l car.
1 Many of these immigrants hav
bought farms in the older settle
i portions of4the state. Farmers fro1
Illinois, where land is held at fro1
5000 to $500 an acre, realizing tha
equally productive soil is to be foun
here at half the price per acre, al
naturally attracted to Southern Mi
nesota.
Leads All in Corn Growing.
| One Of the biggest boosts the stat
5 has received in the corn belt sectio
J. /. was last year when the Federal go