The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-02-03
aa'Orkingmfa's Adrutatt.
CHICAGO. DETROIT AND CINCINNATI.
FEBRU lNSl s lss2.
COOPERATIVE SETTLEMENTS


the nfSt earthly need 81 every huhld"
being ls subsistence the second hardly
less imperative a home. H"W large
portion Of even this favored people arr
without comfort giving homes how many
even Of those who are dccently sheltered
live in other mems houses and are hanle
10 be elected whenever their own poverty
or he owners caprice shall So dictate
how many more than is generally suspected
have absolutely no homes ~ all, VIII not
here set forth Suffice it that every one
needs a home. and IN this country should
resolve to have one that IS truly his own
There are men 20 inbecilc inefficient, in
firm or crippled, that they can hardly hope
t. win a home for themselves. For these
ar To- them. : do not here speak In the
breasts uf all others. | would gladly nelte
Al ardent wish. a stern resolve, to be ahso-
lutte owners Of the ROOF that shelters them,
the walls which protect them from the blasts
uf winter the spot Of earth wheretu they
seyersllV turn alixlnOs and loving eyes
hen they think of home
We are forty millions Of people, whereof
! estimate fully half are tenants or va
grants. | would gladly reduce the proper
tlun Of my countrymen who are either
homeless or home borrowers | would fam
Hmpel and facilitate theIrspeedy acquisition
II homes
Cooperation in settlement is among the
means to this end Let me try t. eluci-
date it
There are this day very cheap lands to be
had in almost every State. as well rs every
Territory Of our vast Union. Some that
>rll 800 per acre are quite as cheap as
equally fertile acres that the Government
profers t. actual settlers for the cost If
surveying and making out the papers.
know lands within All hours ride If this
city that are quite as cheap. all things con
>idcred. rs those of Kansas and Minnesota
at ten shIlhnLs per acre and these last
are very good and cheap. Yet | fully Jus
tlfy the father Of a huuseful of young chill
drtu, OF the young man with 500 Us his
wluile estate, who strikes oft into a new
stat, there to hew ont ~ the wilderness
home which he despalrs of paying for in an
older and richer community.
But the cooperative principle is apph-
cable til settlers IN the farther or nearer
West, in the South. in Texas in New Jer-
sey, or right around our city. Let me eN-
plain
A thousand city mechanics, earning from
So to $50 each per week, and living i'll
hired tencments, realize homes Of their
own. They determine first to buy the land
ahcreon those homes shall Relocated They
ito not care to give $500 to 81 600 each for
suburban building lots. when they can OBJ
tam as eligible at half the cost hv combin-
ing and buying AZ wholesale. IT, enable
them To do this, they organize, choose Off
GERS, including a treasurer i'll whom they
1,.r.4l l.
Ia - each per week, covenantmg to do 50
throughout the ensuing year. The whole
expense Of this need not exceed II 900,
which they pay ny preliminary assessment
VI 81 each
When they shall have paid in from S25
To- 500 each, So rs to have a moral assurance
that no one can back ont without some one
standing ready to take his place, they Sc
lect Locating committee, and send 1t out
IN quest Of a tract suited to their purpose.
For 800, ON they can doubtless buy enough
tu give each a quarter uf an acre, after re
serving lots for a little square or park. for
hotels, stores, schools, churches, &c. BY
the time the location is fixed, and the nee
essary searches made and papers prepared,
they have 500. 900 in the treasury where
with to pay for their land cash down and
take a clear deed of it. As their further
payments are made the proceeds are de-
voted To- surveying. grading, draining, open
ing streets. Sc. SO that. within year OF
~ NC the day If their first weekly payment
into this common fund, they have their
lots ready to be assigned or distributed.
and may assign them by choice, by lot, OF
~ selling each to the highest bidder, and
treating the proceeds as a common fund
The gist of the matter Is, that by pur-
chasing and distributing they have doubled
the value of the property, and their lots
that cost them $50 each are worth from
$500 10 81 900, and will rapidly advance As
their dwellings shall be erected thereon.
The principle is applicable t. settlements
in any old or new region. A thousand
heads of families IN any eastern city ct
county may make terms with railroads for
the transportation If their persons or g,rds
at far less rate than thought they bargain
cd separately. Even though they make the
Journey by families, they can large
per cent. Ivy making one contract for the
whole And in the purchase Of lands from
"A railroad or private owner, great re,luc-
ton may be secured by buying for a thous-
and settlers at once.
Nor does the advantage end here. 4
Thousand immigrants to Virginia, To Texas,
to Minnesota, to Nebraska, or Colorado.
may not only buy the land they need more
cheaply by wholesale than otherwise they
may, by thus buying and settling in clus-
ter have a community Of farmers and ar
tisans, with mills, shops, &c, at hand, in
stead Of the long journeys to reach them
now generally required Of pioneers. am
quite sure that a colony 50 selecting and
buying lands in common can achieve in FIVE
years a condition of thrift and comfort
which is not averaged in twenty years by
those who, with equal capacity and means,
plunge into the wilderness in isolated fam
lies and thus seek to make themselves
homes.
The theme is fruitful, and have barely
entered upon it. There may be improve
ments which have not even suggested, as
there are points on which | have not had
time to touch. Let whoever can present a
better outline but let us unitedly resolve
that our coUntrymen shall be melted and
encouraged to provide themselves, each and
all, with unrented and unmortgaged homes.
Production of Tin Plate.