Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-04-25

the land-SeeklnS Immigrants are
disappointed in the requirement
of land; they have no confidence
In the land sellers and dealers, |
and they have even become suspi- !
cious of the country's laws and
public institutions connected with
land transfer by purchase. Al
though nearly all industrial and
trade pursuits have come under
some sort of public regulation, Ii
censng or supervision, land deal
ing, one of the most basic of all
trades, has been practically over
looked by our lawmakers. Thel
existing conditions are such as to,
require prompt attention. not only
in the interests of the general pub
| lie and for the sake of the general
igood of the country but especially
| for the sake of the Immigrant. Be
cause of his greater ignorance and
! helptessness and his usually strong
desire to settle on land, he suffers
more often and more severely than
| the native born American from the
lunscrupulousneSs and dishonesty
that flourish in the absence of a
public land policy and public land
Regulation. The partial or utter
Ihnisfortunes which the immigrant
80 often experiences molds his en-
| tire opinion of and attitude toward
the United states.
"FTom the viewpoint of the
Americanization of the Immigrant,
therefore, the question of land pol
Icy, land colonization and land
dealing are of utmost importance"
/ The Rcmedy.
Doctor speek outlines the essen
tial elements of a sound land set
1tement policy for the country. His
arguments are based upon a sur
vey of the present situation, which
is described In terms of the actual
Experiences OF individual foreign
ers and of immigrant groups in
attempting to acquire land and es-
tablish lives In the country in the
United States The picture of in
experienced and credulous peas
Iants in the hands of dishonest land
agents, who exploit his desire for
a home in order to cheat him out
oil his usually small funds, shows
the harm done by destroying the
affection OF the newly arrived for
Ieigners for America. Although
| some good land colonization
schemes are described the whole
tendency of the evidence is to re-
veal the inadequaey of the meth
Iods employed up to date in Amer
| lean endeavors to put immigrants
in touch with good opportunities to
settle on American lands, The only
way out of the situation, Doctor
Speek proves would be through
: some such national plan of land
l settlement as the new commission
err general of immigration il pro-
posing.
Regarding his plans for distri-
l button of the immigrants on farms,
commissioner Husband Says
Our plan 10 not to scatter these
: people out in sparsely settled sec
I lions and put them up against the
I problems that our pioneers went
= through. Neither do we plan to
> start foreign settlement communi-
| eles in the strict sense of the term
l but we do plan to group them
4 somewhat on the European village
i plan, and to offer them the advan-
Itages of expert agricultural and
s home demonstration instruction
= through the department of agri-
0 Eculture, and to aid them in TAX
l. ling advantage of the farm loan act
2 We must divert immigration from
4 the crowded industrial centers
4 1.-THE change from European rural
s life to conditions In some of our
+ big factory centers is too much foI
!, human nature to stand
nj FOR IegnUarI1r1n a0IIPl l.
Q tional work again accords with the
/ recommendations presented BY
Doctor Speek. He devoted a great
deal of time and attention to the
D study of rural education, with con-
s illusions far from reassuring. Ir
: lparticular, he lays emphasis on the
Z danger of the foreign language
q schools in country districts.
j American Schools
c Doctor Speek reviews the influ'
+ enee of such schools in many
eI states; and his conclusion is thai
b they should be supplanted by
u American schools as rapidly az
:, possible. He says:
VI AS result of the war time rev
: Citations and excitement, certain
. changes have taken place in these
n schools. In number of states the
= use of a foreign tongue as a teach
s ing medium and even as sub1ec
nj of study in the common schools hal
5 been prohibited In a number o
i places the immigrant leaders them
T. selves have voluntarily changed
their teaching language to Englisl
c under the pressure of public opin
= ion in general and that of thu
~ members of their own group. Blu
s in many cases the nationalist
: leaders expressed their dissatisfac
i ton with the changes enforced
"A upon them.
THE elementary foreign Ian
e guage schools undoubtedly per
Ell form service in preventing tn
g disruption of families and are jus
Il titled to this extent. The question
J. arises, however. whether mucl
s. more cannot be done to assist tn
l. parents, through evening school
e and home teachers. to learn TIL
II language and customs Of the coun
e try"
e To counteract the harm whicl
|. has been done by foreign languag
l. schools, Doctor Speek recommend
] specific IftdSultb VI lpto uiotipiA eiAi'
1.-THE DEVELOPMENT of a more ade
r. auate and practical public educa
wi ton program. The rural schoo
ii teachers are rarely qualified t
meet the needs of Immigrant stu
, dents. he finds. and further;
d There is widespread dissatis
r faction with the present program
f. of the public schools among tn
ID rural population. They feel tina
tsi the teaching is aimed to prepar
m their children for high schools an
colleges only, where only a sna
IN percentage ever go. Those who d
in are lost to the rural population
T. The children who do not enter hig
Of school have secured almost n
al practical training for rural life.
A. 1.-THE present rural public schot
Of program works in favor of the cit
81 rf tho N-f1ra1