The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-26
More Population Needed


 In view of the European war and the great tide of immigration to the United States that will soon be in evidence renewed interest in the im- migration question is manifesting it. self in Alabama. The government has accurate statistics of the foreigners landing in this country from 1924 to 1918. From 17S9 to 1922 the govern ment estimates the number of immi grants at only 266,0OO, but the num- Der from 1924 until last year, by ac- tual count, totaIed 30,808,944.
 Only small percentage of foreign CTS have settled in the south. New England, the middle Atlantic states, the middle west and the northwest have been peopled in large measure by Europeans who landed in the United States in the three decades preceding the civil war. The immigrants came in vast numbers from Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and Italy. In recent years the countries contributing most largely to Ameri- can immigration have been Austria Hugary, Russia and Italy.
 Little Belgium has never sent us many immigrants in any one year, but Belgian colonists have always been heartily welcomed, and Belgians wherever scattered have made highly desirable citizens. They are noted for their intelligence, sobriety and industry. The men as rule are divided into two classes, artisans and farmers. Here in Alabama there has been a great deal of talk about inn migration, but very little has been accomplished. The Birmingham dis trict has a large foreign population as result of the encouragement which all men of brawn receive from the large corporations, but the num- Der of foreigners engaged in agricul- ture outside of Cullman and one or two other counties is almost negligible.
 Maj. J. T. German of Montgomery, recognized as one of the best informed men of the state, contributed letter to yesterdays Age Herald on the sub ject of immigration. It is one of the most interesting discussions relating to that question that has yet appeared.
 It is particularly valuable because of the clear presentation of facts and timely suggestions. Major German says, and very correctly, that Ala bama has an excellent immigration law, but that it has not accomplished much because the department has not had enough money to carry on it's work. He shows that under section 29 of the code of 1907 $2400 is appro- priated annually for the salary of
 
 the immigration commissioner and un- der section 835 of the code $5000 is the amount of the appropriation for ex- penses. It is readily seen that after the payment of clerk hire and postage not much is left to promote the inn- migration cause. The next legislature should do better for this important work
 It is reasonable to assume that many Austrians and many Germans will seek homes in this country as vast numbers of men from those countries have done in the past. All of them will be welcomed and Ala bama should get good proportion of them. More effort will be required, perhaps, to bring Belgian farmers and textile workers to the south, but a strenuous effort should be made.
 Every census shows small in- crease in Alabama's population, but we need more people and we need immigrants in larger numbers than ever before. This state has the nat ural resources to tempt homeseekers from every part of the world, and if Is- L