, 1877-08-19
THE LABOR QUESTION.
What Mr. 0. c. Gibbs Thinks Of
Putting the Unemployed at
Farming.
His Objections to Doing 1t by
Government or Prl-
vate Aid.
Proposition to Capitalists to Undertake It
as q Profitable Investment,

as Profitable Investment,
To the I3fifor OF The Tttbuue-
CHICAGO, Aug. l8.-The recent labor strike
and Attendant disturbances have forced upo
public attention the tact that We have in ou
cities and larger towns = large surplus popul:
tion for whom there is no prcsen, use, nor LIKE
u to be for some time to come; that owing t
tie depressed condition Of all branches Of bus
ness aud trade, With diminished production il
all lines Of manufactures, there is 10 employ
mcnt within their reach that will afford til
means Of support for themselves. and families
There are two men for every days work thcr
is TO be .lone, while the pay for that days wurl
will barely support one man, and the qucstIo,
how work 'can be supplied, SO that these uncm
ploycd men can earn thcis support, has hccom'
the foremost question oi the day, and is writ
ten, talked, and preached about Us the labor
problem. This distress and embarrassment i
by no means coniurt. to the workingnlan, o.
What NC arc accustomed to call tho laborino
classes, Ut1l cnlbl1ccs persons from all grade:
of employment as well as those who have done
business Oh their own aecou.4t- but have 1os'
employment or business through the pressure
OF the times, and arc noW in tho most distressed
CirCun stauces, and iu anyconsdc1..liou looking
tn tire relief of people aulerin; for the lack Of
employment they are IS much OF more ertitcd
TO our sympathy aud aid than arc the common
laboring ciasscs, since the contrast between
their present and former condition is greater
aud more kccnly felt.
While there is su:t a condition Of distress and
suffering in our commercial aud manufacturing
centres, and little that is lopcful in the i'm
mediate future, when NC turn to our agrlc.lit-
ural districts 1itd Interests VIC ind in strange
contrast a 'onLition Of I'lcuty and general bros
peTitv. Every ttt:shtl of wheat, corn, ryc, oats,
or barley; every pound OF beci, pork, butter,
cheese, or wool; every ba1e oi cotton, AMI in
fsct ovcry pro1uct Of the soil, is III demand,
and at rc1nuneratiye prices to the producer.
Added to this is the fact that there are millions
OF acres of as fertile lands us the sun ever shone
upon, embracing every variety Of climate be-
tween the British Possessions on the north and
the Gull OF Mexico on the south, waiting for
the labor Of the husbandmau.
Among the propositions that have been prom
fncntly proposed as one measure OF relief from
the present oyercrowdcu condition Of our cities
Is that Of the formation OF colonies
made up Of the unemployed to settle upon and
improve cheap lands, such aid being rendered
them in reaching and getting start upon their
lands as mag be found necessary. Having Lad ex-
pericucc in the settlement OF a new country. and
&nowing just what it involves, and what condi-
tions arc essential to insure success, I have
thought that | might be able to present this
question in more practical light than one lack
ing such experience, and might be able to i'm
part information OF value persons who may be
L1A9 AAEsLlOu 40 u lE1lE1 1loit klElI
smba1assments. as we'll as to show to those
inclined to render aid to persons so disposed,
aow thataid can best be gwen.
It is very easy to say, Is The unemployed
settle on piece OF cheap land, and 60 to far1n-
ing" They might as we'll be told to bnv |
steamboat and 90 to steanlboating; without nid |
the one Is just as much out OF their reach as the
involves, first, q house or cabin Of sone
kind that will serve rs q shelter; |
then q team (oxen, horses, or mulesl, |
fasm-wason, breaking plow, harrow, culti-
vator, and II IN country where stock is al |
lowed to run at large, fencing sufficient to in
close al lana prepared for crop, seed for |
planting and, lastly, means for subsistence till |
ground can be prepared and crop grown. This |
in the States OF tho West and Northwest will |
extend into the second year after settlement, |
rs little can be realized from the sod crop on |
new breaking In the South or Southwest,
where farming operations can te carried on |
through nearly the entire year, and where the /
sod is not OF the same tenacious character
as further nortb,a settler in autumn could prob
ably get enough ground ready for planting in |
the spring to insure his living after he had har-
vested his first crop. From the foregoing it
will be seen that, under the most favorable con
ditions, colonist will need capital OF from !
$3.50 to $500 with which to settle upon and i'm |
prove piece OF new land. But little reliance |
could be placed upon securing labor from others
to help furnish a support while the land was
/
Without help from some source the man who |
IS to-day in Chicago without employment or
money has little chance to become sclf-sup-
porting farmer. have seen but two ways sug-
Ee5ted IN which such aid could be rendered: |
First, Government aid, as asked by our Com !
munistfc friends; aud second, charitable aid
the formation OF Emigrant Aid Societies to fur !
nish means to get settlers on the cheap lands
and sustain them there until they become self |
supporting: The first may be dismissed without
consideration.
Tie second is highly Objectionable. even if
practicable. The Objectionable features are that
tends to paupe1zc and undermine tue
feelings of self-respcct Of the recipient.
It would exclude tho class most needed in such
m enterprise, the intelligent aud selfrespect-
s'ch aid. \ colony made up Of people who
would 80 out Oh such terms would never be
satisfied with what was done for them. would !
always 1nc]inc to lean upon others ruther than t
carry within il the clements of disaster aud
faiuEe 1t Is impractic2blc in that the 1eees-
eary means could no: be raised at this time. This
pressure is rot felt outside DIR cities,
aad aa no AID could be realized from ths:
will be taxed to its Utmost to keep those who |
remain from suffering during the coming win
ter. The idea, then, Of benevolent aid to carry
be abandoned. But this wouli not prevent lie
rendering Of aid TO help give it start .. an ex-
preston Of kindly interest on the part Of our |
benevolent public IN donatioHs Of farming in,-
plcmen1s seeds, groceries. clothing where need.
ad, and perhaps the chartering OF train to
take them to their destination which auy rail-
road would furnish at greatly reduced rates. |
What mean Is, that there should be no reliance
upon continued benevolent aid.
Can, then, any plan be devised free from OBJ |
tertinn by which any considerable numbers OF |
our UNEMPLOYED, with their families, could he
settled upon cheap lands IN the country! 1t
seems to me there CAL. We have the three |
elements: First. cheap and fertile land in uu- |
limited quantities; second, auy ampunt OF in
employed 1ator which would make that land
productive, aud. third, millions Of money living
Idle for want OF safe aud profitable ways in
which tt can be used.
1t doce not seem to me that the problem Of |
bringing these three elen,cnts-land, labor, and |
capttal-into harmonious and profitable com |
bii1at1on, ts one impossible OF solution, |
do not think that ~ Homestead lands ~ or |
lands which Government gives 10 aetua] settlers |
can be tound IN localities which would make
them desirable for purposes Of colonization.
lhcy would either be too remote from railroads !
ana markets, within the grasshopper DISTRICTS.
OF u too bleak aud inclemen: climate Desir.
aole lands for eucn purpose would probably
nave to DC purchased. but can it be had withir
Easy aarss OF railroads and markets At from {
$50 to IS per acre ~" /
Before proceeding to present any MIN let ,,s !
gee what effect upon the raluc Of Surrounding