Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-04-05
Large Tracts OF Land are Leased
and Poor Families are EncOUr-
aged to Raise Produce to Afford
Them support.

iauu Ill I<OuS AsIdilu SlIy. N-Matof
Hewitt has also donated the use Of
| fifty acres Of land at Inwood on the
Hudson river. Each applicant must
fill out blank form which will he
furnished him and if properly endorsed
by some responsible person. he will he
allowed the use of a 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
him. In case where a man has
large family and his condition is extra
worthy, he will be given half an acre
of land to cultivate.
The committee has ordered 1000
bushels OF seed potatoes and has al
ready 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 fur
nished the men free of charge. The
committee has secured the services OF
practical farmer as superintendent
of the farms. 1t is expected that a
large number OF the men will be una
BILE to subsist while awaiting the re.
suit OF their labor, and to provide
against this contingency the com
mittee has reserved a large tract of
land in Long Island City and part
of the land at Inwood which will be
known as the committee plot" where
such men will be employed by the
committee to cultivate the soil and for
which they will be paid either so or
Is cents day. The committee will
exercise general supervision over the
work, and will find market for the pro-
duce. 1t is also stipulated that one
half the seeds planted shall be pota-
toes. 1t is estimated that one acre
will produce from 400 to $50 bushels
OF pototoes.
A letter received by the committee
from Henry A. Robinson, chief of the
statistical division of the Department
of Agriculture at Washington, in
which he states that from q personal
investigation of the experiment at De-
troit, Mich, and from the general
opinion of those to whom he applied
for information, he is convinced of the
efficiency of the scheme. Mr.. Robin
son enclosed in his letter a report
from the committee having the enter
prise at Detroit in charge, which says
in part:
Land to the extent of 43O acres
was secured, ploughed, narrowed and
staked off into lots of one-quarter and
half acres and 1900 applications were
received, but the committee was only
able to provide for 945 families. The
potato crop averages about fifteen
bushels a lot. Large quantities OF
beans, turnips and other vegetable.
| were raised and daily consumed. ft Ire
whole was sufficient to keep the peo-
pie from want and habits of idleness
The estimated value of the crops pro.
duced was from $4,000 to $4,000
The entire cost to the committee wa,
$500, which was made up OF sub
scriptions, over half the later beins
contributed by city employees. As &
labor test the plan is unexcelled. Her,
is an opportunity for honorable, mod
crate and not unpleasant work anu
for learning useful occupation. Any
who are able, but will not work, should
not be helped at all. Where men are
in need OF immediate support and
cannot wait for crops to grow, they
are put to work plowing and given 4
small wage for the work done. Th,
Christian Industrial Alliance mca
tickets will keep family OF three fo
a week at a cost OF ninety cents, whicl
are given in wages for the work"
Similar experiments will be trie,
the coming summer in Minneapolis
Toledo, Los Angeles, st. Paul, SYRIA
cuse, Chicago, Buffalo and st. Louis.
|
| The committee appointed for tn,
raising of bonus for the sugar bee
factory report that they are receiving