loO RURAL MICHIGAN 



was directed to collect, compile and publish in- 

 formation likely to prove attractive to settlers 

 within the commonwealth, but was given slight 

 resources or machinery for accomplishing important 

 results. In December, 1918, an agent of the com- 

 mission was stationed in New York for the pur- 

 pose of directing newcomers towards Michigan, but 

 to the end of the fiscal year just preceding the 

 outbreak of the World War, he appears to have 

 persuaded only twenty-four • farm laborers to seek 

 a domicile in this State. The War caused a dis- 

 continuance of even this effort, and the commis- 

 sion lacked faith in its efficacy. The sugar com- 

 panies have maintained agents in New York for the 

 purpose of directing immigrants to the beet fields and 

 factories of Michigan, but quite without avail. The 

 attitude of the commissioner was apologetic and 

 evinced little faith in the work the statute set 

 for him to do. It was undoubtedly a fundamental 

 error to combine the office of Immigration Commis- 

 sioner and Secretary of the Public Domain Commis- 

 sion. No effort was made to secure a commissioner 

 with special experience and aptitude for such work 

 as the law contemplated. Nor were the resources 

 placed at the disposal of the commissioner at all 

 adequate for liis task. The State has never had a 

 comprehensive soil classification; and, therefore, the 

 Commissioner of Immigration was unable closely to 

 define and discriminate parcels of land in wliich 

 home-seekers might be concerned. It was quite 

 impossible for the commissioner to indicate to a 



