The record-union., 1894-05-16
COLONIZING WORKERS ON CALI
FORNIA LANDS.

Yesterday morning we published an
article from q San Francisco contempo-
rary written by William G. Pomeroy,
General Organizer of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, who is now in Califor-
mia looking for opportunities to colonize
bodies of American mechanics from the
East who desire to get out of metropoli-
tan into the independence of rural life.
Mr.. Pomeroy in the article referred to
plainly states his opinion, which is in
agreement with the best thought of the
day, that Coxeyism is ridiculous, social
ism q fantastic theory, untried and de-
structive in doctrine. as it would be in
practice. of ambition and the incentive to
succeed, and that arprchism is the syno-
nym for misrule and confusion. He
wisely comes to the conclusion that to
better conserve the distribution of pro-
ducts and Of wealth and check the con-
gestion of population in the cities the
effort of the day should be directed to the
redistribution of the people.
With that in view Mr.. Pomeroy is in
California in the interest of large groups
of Illinois workers, to find for them
rural locations where they can apply
labor to the soil and reap their reward
direct. As he puts it with vigorous hu-
NOR, he would add the vacant stomachs
of the Eastland to the vacant areas of the
Sunset State, and this can be done and
without imposing upon them hardships.
Since his arrival in California Mr.. Pom
eroy has learned the difference between
the labor which may be put upon the
soil of California and the soil of the East
ern States. He has become convinced,
in common with his associates, that colo
MES founded in California upon good
land, with irrigation, Will afford profita-
BILE employment to the culIivstor of ten
or twenty acres; that is, employment for
himself and family; indeed. it will afford
him competency.
Convinced of this economic truth, find
ing here countless acres of soil as rich as
that of the banks of the Nile; a climate
challenging that of the Mediterranean's
northern shores; he believes that all that
is needed is such use of capital in small
sums as will give intelligent. willing and
provident workers opportunity to inn
prove such facilities, exchange the grind,
prlvation and unnatural restraint of the
metropolitan centers for the peace and
freedom OF rural life.
He declares that the Illinois FEEDER
alton Of Labor believes it has solved
the problem how to relieve the hard
pressure of the overstocked labor in
Eastern centers. It has, in pursuance
of that idea, sent q committee to
California to seek lands for colony
purposes to be occupied by its members
under conditions that will give the
colonist full opportunity to get foothold
if he has average capacity and is actuated
by sincere desire to better his own con-
dition and that of his fellowmen. Mr..
Pomeroy concludes his statement by say
ing that the Federation proposes to locate
acolony of Eastern workers in California,
the general of excellence of (which shall
command the attention of the thinkers of
the world.n He adds:
Having demonstrated Its success others will
be planted, and the attention of mankind be
turned once again toward tie Common
mother earth within whose chaSte embrace
wealth awaits the seeking hand of man.