A System for Immigrants.
Competition is fast bringing down the cost of travel between the United States and California, especially on some parts of the line of travel, to a rate at which probably none can have reason to complain of, unless it be the fast Yankees who run the rival steamers. Already on one of the lines between this city and Panama, the passage is down to one hundred and twenty-five dollars, cabin passage, and between Chagres and New York, the charge has been reduced to twenty-five. This is certainly a great reduction from the old rates, when men who were put in to the tune of one thousand or one thousand five hundred dollars to get here can, exclusive of the cost over the Isthmus and their current pocket money, return for one hundred and fifty.
But a far more important consideration connected with these rates, one much more calculated to advance the interests of California than any facilities offered for returning to the States or Europe from our shores, is the ability which it will give to thousands of people desirous of coming here to settle. A population of the right quality and of sufficient numbers is all that California needs to place her before the world in her proper position. And especially is a population of agriculturalists most imperatively demanded. Our mining, digging, commercial, mercantile and mechanical interests and resources, are farther advanced by a great deal than our agricultural. Compared with her capacity in this line, what California has yet done is scarce worthy of being mentioned.
To secure this great object, we should be pleased to see a good system adopted for the purpose of supplying the demand which our rich, prolific, millions of vacant and arable acres, are making upon the industry, skill and energies of farmers and tillers of the soil. There ought to be an arrangement by which agriculturalists and others in the United States and in Europe, desirous of bettering their condition by coming to this country, where nature and fortune hold out to them such inducements as never before have been extended to the poor, may be enabled to come with the least possible expense and with the greatest possible speed. There would seem to be no very great obstacle to effecting this. On this coast there are many sailing vessels which could be put into the business. But as they could not be expected to make, as a general thing, sufficiently speedy passages, the dependence is upon steamers, of which we have also a goodly number that might be thus employed.
So also on the Atlantic side, where at least thirteen steamers are running between Chagres and ports of the United States. Of this latter portion of the route, as before said, the fare is already extremely low. If we are not mistaken, the charges for bringing emigrants from Liverpool to New York, they furnishing their own provisions, is fifteen dollars a piece, where companies of a hundred or some come in the same ship. That an arrangement could be made with the proprietors of the different lines from Havre, Liverpool, etc. to the United States, with other lines to Chagres, and with those on this side, to bring companies of immigrants furnishing their own provisions, at a very low figure for mere transportation, seems almost certain.
The greatest trouble and probably the greatest proportional expense would be encountered in transportation over teh Isthmus. But it will not be a great while ere a railroad will be completed there, with cars running from ocean to ocean, from steamer to steamer. Second class cars will probably be used, by means of which contractors could undoubtedly arrange with the company to transport large numbers for a very moderate sum.
The question is whether it is not worth the while of monied men and those possessing large extents of good agricultural land, to enter into an undertaking of the kind, as has been done in Texas, in Iowa, and other places.
That the present condition of California, and the brilliant promises she holds out to those who are disposed to draw upon her rich treasury by cultivating her soil with skill and perseverance, are enough to entice thousands of our own countrymen and Europeans to our shores as soon as they shall become convinced that the country can be made one of the most prolific bread producing lands on earth, and as soon as the means of coming here are within the scope of their means, admits of no more doubt than is entertained by those of us here who know what the country is, and what is needed to develop its resources, that it is fully competent to produce all the necessaries of life in sufficient abundance, not only to supply all the people engaged in all its other occupations, but also to export breadstuffs for our neighbors on the Pacific coast, and the dwellers of the isles of the great ocean.