University of Virginia Library

Immigration South.

At a recent meeting of the Southern
Immigration Commission which met
in New York City June 5, to discuss
methods for the securing of desirable
immigrants for the South a letter was
read from Theodore Marbury, of Baltimore
who is a member of the immigration,
committee of the civic federaation
in which Mr. Marbury wrote
that only 4 1-2 per cent of the immigrants
coming to this country last
year went to Southern States, and that
there was urgent need in the South of
an immigration of a new race which
can be counted to make its contributions
to progress. Immigration Commissioner
Watchorn, said: "Immigrants
who arrive here are for Northern
points and if you were to try and
steer them from their several points
they would think you were bunco
men. Unless the wages of the South
are brought up to the standard of
those of the North you cannot expect
immigrants to go South and if you did
get them to go they would not stay

because they would probably hear
from their relatives in the North who
were making more money." This
statement caused surprise among
members of the Commission who
seemed to be under the impression
that immigrants have no special
destination and would gladly accept
any proposition which was made
them. In order that the Commission
might be convinced Commissioner
Watchorn allowed Chairman J. L.
Graybill to question several of the
immigrants. Of the half dozen or
more questioned not one would consent
to abandon the place he was
bound for and go South.