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Archiver > IA-IRISH > 2003-11 > 1069937595


From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: [IA-IRISH] Encouragement of Immigration to Iowa (cont.)
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 06:53:15 -0600


...continued...
IOWA JOURNAL OF HISTORY AND POLITICS
Vol. XIX April, 1921 No. 2

THE SECOND BOARD OF IMMIGRATION, 1872 -1873
In his second biennial message, on January 10, 1872, Governor Merrill
referred to the operations of the Board, commented on the difficulty of
ascribing specific results to its endeavors, and expressed his faith in its
value; but made no definite recommendations for future legislation. Popular
interest in the subject, however, was so great that in both the Senate and House
of Representatives bills were introduced providing for a continuation of the
Board in slightly modified form. Though opposition was manifested the Senate
bill became a law. The membership was reduced to five members one of whom was
the Governor, who was to act as the president, and the others were appointed by
him for a term of two years. Ten thousand dollars was appropriated for the
salary of a secretary and for other expenses, with the proviso that no money
should be paid as a salary " to any agent who may receive a commission as agent
from the Board of Immigration."
The composition of the preceding Board had had not been entirely
satisfactory, because counties in the western part of the State were without an
official representative although the lands most in need of settlers were in that
section. So keen had the feeling been over this that leading men in western Iowa
organized an independent ''Immigrant Aid Society" to give publicity to the
advantages of the less densely populated parts of the State. In the organization
of the new Board, however, criticism of this nature was avoided by the selection
of Charles V. Gardner of Avoca as the fifth member, S. F. Spofford, M. J.
Rohlfs, and Marcus Tuttle having been reappointed.
After the organization had been completed Mr. Fulton was selected to serve
as secretary and preparations were made for such activities as the limited funds
at their disposal permitted. Agents were appointed for England, Holland,
Germany, and the eastern States and authority was granted the president of the
Board to commission other agents as he saw fit provided this action entailed no
expense. Fifteen thousand pamphlets were printed in German, seven thousand in
Swedish, and a like number in Norwegian. Through the medium of the agents, who
were assisted by the railroad companies in the matter of transportation, these
leaflets were distributed and, being freely copied by newspapers at home and
abroad, obtained a varied and wide-spread hearing. To attract settlers was,
however, not the only purpose. Fear was already being felt that the coming of
large numbers of agricultural laborers would cause such a surplus of produce
that prices would fall to an alarming extent. To prevent this condition the
Board also emphasized the building up of a home market to create a demand for
farm products; capital and industries as well as homesteaders were to be invited
to Iowa.
Accordingly, H. S. Hyatt, editor and proprietor of the Iowa Progress, was
given assistance in the compilation of a volume, Manufacturing, Agricultural and
Industrial Resources of Iowa, and two thousand copies were ordered for
distribution by the Board. Sketches of the physical features of the State that
appealed to farmer and manufacturer, descriptions of the leading manufacturing
and industrial centers-including the now forgotten cities of Cedar Bluffs and
Boonsboro-and a statement of the laws of Iowa in reference to aliens were
included in its pages. With the same purpose in view the Board sanctioned the
calling of an Iowa Industrial Convention, attended by members of boards of trade
and other organizations, that met in Des Moines during January, 1873. Here the
questions of encouragement of manufacturing, attraction of capital, cheaper
transportation, river improvements, and changes in the usury, homestead, and
other laws were considered.
At the adjourned session of the Fourteenth General Assembly which met in
Des Moines on January 15,1873, there was presented for consideration the work of
the Code Commission. In the Code as finally enacted the provisions relating to
the Board of Immigration were not retained, but this omission did not prevent
its functioning during the succeeding spring and summer. In September 1873,
however, the Board went out of existence.
At this time there remained in the custody of the Board about twelve
thousand copies of various documents in the English and German languages. By a
concurrent resolution at the next meeting of the legislature, Mr. Fulton was
authorized to circulate these publications, the actual expense of distribution
to be paid from the unexpended balance of the appropriation made two years
earlier. The subject of immigration, however, was not an important question at
this session. An attempt to provide for the printing of the report of the Board
did not succeed; and though the board of supervisors of Palo Alto County
petitioned for the appointment of another body to encourage settlers, no bill
with this end in view was introduced.

...to be continued...
Cathy Joynt Labath
The Irish in Iowa
http://www.celticcousins.net/irishiniowa/index.htm


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