Evening star., 1895-04-24
HELPING THE POOR
The Potato Plan Endorsed by the
Associated Charities.
EMPLOYMENT FOR TEE DESTITUTE
Mr.. Emery Proposes Making a
Farm Colony.
A MEETIN LAST NIGHT

The regular monthly meeting of the board
Of managers of the Associated Charities
was held last evening at the central Of
flee, on G street northwest. Rev. Geo. o.
Little occupied the chair, and Mr.. L. S.
Emery was In his post as secretary. The
subject of aiding the poor by providing
employment for them by giving them an
opportunity to cultivate lots Of land near
or within the city limits and upon larger
tracts more remote from the city engaged
the larger part of the time Of the meeting.
The secretary presented the subject in de-
tail, giving an estimate of the expense, and
it was heartily approved. The following
resolutions were enthusiastically adopted:
'That we commend the enterprise or sug-
gestions of furnishing employment to poor
people who will avail themselves of the
privilege of cultivating small or vacant lots
of land near to or within the city limits as
an additional means of aiding the poor
who are willing to work, as a temporary
expedient, and preliminary to a more per-
manent plan of relief.
'2. That we also approve the more per-
manent plan of providing employment for
those able to till the soil and to work at
other vocations by establishing families
upon tract of about ten acres OF land
more remote from the city and equipping
them with means to make a start and to
become self-supporting, as suggested by
the paper submitted herewith, and that We
will heartily cooperate with citizens or
organizations with these plans in view.
MIR. Emery's Plan.
The plan which Secretary Emery sub
mitted to the board, and which is referred
to in the resolution, is a comprehensive one
for the permanent and systematic relief of
a large section of impoverished classes of
people in the District These he divides
into three classes-those who, from old age
or infirmities, men and women both,
are incapacitated from manual work, self
respecting people. who would support them
selves. but cannot, and are fit subjects for
help; these VINO are perfectly able to work,
but who would rather become charges upon
public charity, chronic paCpers; lastly,
those who are able and willing, but for
one reason and another, are unable to Sc
cure regular and permanent employment at
compensation sufficient for their support.
Mr.. Emery's plan is for the relief of the
third class.
Mr.. Emery's scheme is practically the
colonization of a number of these people.
giving tract of about ten acres of tillable
land to each family, which they are to cul-
tivate, and thus render themselves self
supporting The cultivation of a small po-
tato or bean patch on a lot near the city.
or within its limits, to which they could go
in the morning and again in the evening,
temporary expedient, but it is not what a
sense of good citizenship demands. and it
is 1ot to be recommended a permanent
form of help.
Giving Them Opportunities.
In his report Mr.. Emery said:
I'VE want them to have an opportunity
to be employed tilling enough of the soil to
raise their corn as we'll as potatoes and
beans. to raise their poultry and their pork,
thus making good and self-respecting citi-
zens of them. To clear out the city's sur
plus of would-be laborers makes way for
the proper discipline OF the fraudulent and
lazy that remain. and for better living
chance for the honest poor who. for a good
and sufficient cause. are not able to leave
the city"
He recommends the securing of land at
some distance from the city in Maryland
and Virginia and colonizing there about 200
families, which would reduce the number
OF dependents in the city to about the nor
NAL. The 1000 acres would cost not over
$4,000; equipment for tilling the soil,
$1,000; expense of seeding for the first year,
5000; expense of providing shelters in ad-
dition to what might be found on the
land, $4,000; support of the people for the
first few months. $1,000; total, $4,000, or
less than was raised for emergency work
last winter. Those assisted should be en-
couraged in their efforts to become owners
of the land. Mr.. Emery does not under
stimate the value of the potato patch"
system, but thinks that the larger and more
permanent plan would prove of immense
worth in relieving the existing condition of
affairs and in reducing the number of
those who are likely to become dependents
upon public charity.
Committee Appointed.
At the meeting last evening a committee
of five was designated to confer with other
organizations with reference to putting the
suggestions into practical shane and effect
The committee is as follows: Rev. w. E.
Parson, president Of the board of managers;
L. S. Emery, secretary of the association
Mr.. Theodore w. Noyes, a member of the
board of managers; Thomas J. LASER a
member of the board of managers, and
Mrs. J. w. Babson, member of the board
of managers.