The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-28
A NEW PLAN OF DISPENSING
CHARITY.

Do fashions change in the matter Of
dispensing charity or is it really pro-
gressive science? A year ago the prin-
cipal topic of discussion among the dis
pensers of municipal charity was '.the
Indianapolis plan, now it is "the De-
troit plan.'' This does not imply that
the Indianapolis plan has been rejected
or forgotten, for it has not. but simply
that a newer one is dividing public at
tention with it. Yet the basic idea of
the Detroit plan is the same as that of
the indianapolis plan. Both aim at CIV
ing relief to those who need it without
injuring their self-respect, and in such
way as to make them feel they are
earning it.
The Detroit plan. so called because it
originated with the Mayor and was first
tried in that city, consists in utilizing
vacant lots in a city and its suburbs
for garden purposes, the seed and imple-
ments to be furnished by the city and
the work to be done by those who are
willing to do it for the crop. The plan
was first tried in Detroit last year, and,
starting as late as June with fund of
$4,000, it produced crops worth nearly
$1,000 and gave employment and sup
port to more than 900 families. The plan
is feasible in any city that has numerous
vacant lots. It's supporters claim, and
the experience of Detroit seems to prove
that it lessons mendicancy, encourages
self-reliance and self-respect among the
poor, affords relief to a class who are
too proud to accept pure charity and
confers greater benefits with a given
outlay than any other mode of relief.
Mr.. Henry A. Robinson, chief of the
statistics division of the Department of
Agriculture at Washington, after a per-
sonal inspection of the experiment at
Detroit and from the best information
he could obtain there, concludes that as
labor test the plan is unexceIIed. and
that in proportion to the outlay the
benefits are very great.
Arrangements are in progress in sew
eral cities to give the plan a trial this
year. In New York the Association for
Improving the Condition of the Poor
has appointed committee on the cult
walton of vacant lots by the unemployed.
There they have to go some distance
to get land. but the committee has OBJ
hundred acres within comparatively
easy distance of the city Under the
rules adopted by the committee each
applicant must fill out blank which
will be furnished him, and if properly
Endorsed by some responsible person he
will be allowed the use of quarter of
an acre of land, which he will cultivate
during the summer and the proceeds
from the sale of the vegetables will be
given to him. In a case where a man
has a large family and his conditions
are extra worthy he will be given half
an acre of the land to cultivate. The
committee has ordered ] 200 bushels of
seed potatoes, and has already on hand
all the other vegetable seeds that will
be required The seeds and all the
agricultural implements necessary to till
the soil will be furnished free of charge.
and the committee will undertake to
sell and account for the proceeds of the
surplus crops. 1t is said that similar
experiments will be tried this season in
Minneapolis, Toledo, Los Angeles, st.
Paul, Syracuse, Chicago, Buffalo and st.
Louis. Why should it not be tried in
this city, and every man who is willing
to work be given a quarter or half an
acre of ground for garden? Vacant
lots throughout the city and in the
suburbs would better be producing sum-
mer vegetables and fall potatoes than
weeds.