Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-26
SMALL FARMS FOR THE POOR
The Detroit Plan for Helping the Destitute
to Hslp Themselves
Vacant Lots Measured on Into Half
Acre Ffelds-Mr. Henry A. Rob-
insOn's Observations.


work for the unemployed is attracting
considerable attention. AS is well known.
last spring a beginning was made in De-
troit. Mich, by committee of citizens and
the results were so satisfactory that 1t will
be continued there, and the probabilities
are that other cities will adopt the same
method. Under the auspices of the Associ-
ated Charities of New York city a large
tract Of land has been secured in Long
Island, where it is proposed to give the
unemployed en- opportunity to do some
thing for themselves. The details of the
Detroit plan are simple. Permission was
obtained from the owners of vacant lots
in and near the city to make use Of their
land for garden purposes. When the land
was secured the committee had it plowed
and rolled and staked Off into half
lots. Then a supply of garden tools and
seeds was secured and the lots were as
signed to those who applied for them. The
crop planted was mainly potatoes and
beans, and the only expenditure on the
part of the unemployed was their time and
labor. In this way a supply of food Was
obtained which lasted not only through
the season. but left something of O store
for the winters use.
The New York committee in seeking in
formation as to the practical workings of
this plan wrote to Mr.. Henry A. Robinson,
the chief of the division Of statistics, De-
made the following response:
In reply to yours inquiring whether /
have any knowledge of the experiment of
employing the poor in the cultivation of
vacant lands or lots within the city of
Detroit. Mich, in the season of 1884, I
have to say that am resident of Detroit
and for that reason among others I was
naturally interested to know as to the sue
cess OF that rather unique method of tiding
the worthy poor over a season of very
hard times AS consequence 1 made.
while on visit home last summer and
again in the fall. many inquiries, and also
visited the patches of land devoted to the
purpose. From these inquiries and person
al observation I feel justified in certifying
to the substantial correc tness of the report
of the committee having the experiment Or
enterprise in charge. The general opinion
of those to whom I applied for informa-
tion-and they were not few-as to the
efficiency of the scheme adopted was very
favorable"
A Talk With MFR. Robinson.
In talking with a Star reporter on the
subject Mr.. Robinson said that he looked
upon this plan as a most admirable one for
furnishing work as well as aid to the I'M
employed. He said that he was told in De-
troit that there were more applicants for
these farms than could be supplied, and
there was another admirable feature,
Ia mely, that the beneficiaries did not con-
slider that they were receiving charity, but
what they obtained was the result of their
own efforts. In this way the spirit of in
dependence and manliness was preserved.
and he regarded this as the essence of all
efficient charity aid.
He said that he saw no reason why this
plan should not be put into operation in
this city. He was aware that there was
land in sufficient quantity. convenient Of ac-
cess. which could be used for this purpose.
He had doubt that the land owners
would willingly give their consent to the
use of their property for this purpose as
it would benefit rather than injure it. In
Detroit, he said, he was told that last year
the restitution was so great among those
who worked these little farms that they
were unable to wait until the crop of po-
tatoes had matured, but dug them as soon
as they were of available size, and used
them from day to day in supplying their
wants. He believed that this system was
an entirely natural one. and would enable
large number of people to come back to
the land to SECURE in partial way, at
least, the means of support.
EI&inE Out Their Incomes.
1t was common enough, and he supposed it
was true here as well as in other cities,
for workingnen to have small lot of
ground about their homes. which they cul-
tivated in times of enforced idleness, and
thus secured the means of filling the gap
in the income derived from their regular
trade. In nearly all occupations, he said,
there were apt to be periods in the year
when there was no work to be had and the
yield of little garden plots served to exc
out what would otherwise have been an in
come inadequate for the support of their
families.
Mr.. Robinson Is thorough believer in
the form of charity which enables people
to help themselves. and this is another rea-
son why he so heartily indorses the small
farm plan. He believes that it furnishes a
tramp cure, as he calls it, not using the
word in the general sense, as it is applied
to those who don't want to work and will
rot work, but to the large and increasing
class who are being forced by the exigen-
cies of the times into a life of going about
in search of work. He believes that this
soon has demoralizing effect and trans
ferns many Industrious and honest work.
il.gmen into genuine tramps.