70 
STATE AGRICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
encountered in the preparation of the statistical portions of 
which have only intensified the opinion therein expressed. 
A Board of Immigration—thanks to your Excellency’s 
timely recommendation, and its adoption by the Legislature— 
has at last been established. It is safe to say that the post¬ 
ponement of such action for so long a time has resulted in a 
virtual loss to this State of thousands of hardy, industrious 
immigrants who might have been induced to settle upon our 
lands instead of passing over them into other States, whose 
earlier enterprise in this direction had been the immediate oc¬ 
casion of their coming to this countrv. And even now that 
such a board has been created, as representing very numerous 
classes of our citizens deeply interested in the results of its 
labors, we may be pardoned for strongly expressing the opin¬ 
ion that a much more liberal appropriation than the three 
thousand dollars per annum granted by the Legislature, might, 
with great advantage, have been placed at its command. 
The question of labor is one of vast importance to the entire 
people of this country, but especially to the people of the 
West, where the demand is so rapidly growing and ever im¬ 
perative. To-day, every productive interest of this State is 
suffering serious loss for the want of a better supply; and the 
Legislature should deem it the best possible economy to pro¬ 
vide the Board of Immigration, if continued at all, with suffi¬ 
cient means to enable it to do its work in the most prompt, 
thorough and effectual manner. Since the close of the war, 
and the re-establishment of the Union of States upon a more 
enduring basis, increased confidence in the stability of our 
government has brought to our shores a better class of immi¬ 
grants than formerly, and the number of such may be very 
greatly increased by a use of the requisite means. Every cent 
judiciously expended in this interest is like bread cast upon 
the waters, sure to return with large increase after a few or 
many days. 
Special Commissions, growing, as they do, out of special exi¬ 
gencies, find simple mention in this discussion. They may 
