The San Francisco call., 1897-07-30
HELP FOR The
UNEMPLOYED
Report Of the Ways and
Means Committee
Adopted.
It Is in Favor of the Coloni-
zation Of Sugar Beet
Lands.
Meeting of the Citizens Committee of
Fifteen to Be Held on Mon
day.

terOay toward COnSum matln8 the SCneme
for the colonization of the unemployed on
sugar beet lands in the Salinas Valley.
The citizens ways and means committee
of five met in the Office of ex-Mayor Ell
lert, in conjunction with Major w. w.
WinchelI, who represented the Salvation
Army, to hear the report of Mr.. Ellert
and Major Winchell relative to the mat
ter. Ex-Mayor Ellert presided. Those
present were: i. r. Ellert, w. M.
Bunker, George S. Montgomery, George
E. Butler. w. S. Green and MAJOR Win
chell. Chairman Ellert read the follow
ing report:
Having been appointed by the ways and
means committee of five TO examine into the
practica ability of Sc ttling the unemployed of
California upon lands in the vicinity OF beet
sugar refineries for the purpose OF raising
sugar beets, We beg to make the following re-
port
Frst-Eight weeks have elapsed since we
were delegated to this work The work has
been slow tor several reasons but we have &C
quired much valuable information, and feel
that enough progress has been made to sub
NIT to you this report.
Second-ln seeking a field OF work when
will Irovide homes for the unemployed we
did not care to put them in any industry
which would crowd others and produce an
other class OF unemployed. We found by care
ful investigation that If our unemployed
could be placed upon several acres or lana
they would be able to grow enough vegeta-
tion ana meat for their own sustenance, and
by devotipg the ma jor portion oil their land TO
sugarbeet culture and especially to the rota-
tiOn of crops, they wou d be able TO not only
pay for their homestead, but be In position
to make improvement upon their farms IN
very few years. The cultivation OF sugar
beets will not compete with or crowd any
labor, the market is inexhausuble. Our
sugar factories now are producing only hall
q IN
Third-Good Soil, containing saccnarlne
properties if well cultivated, will yield from
twelve 10 twenty tons Of beets 10 the acre, ana
in many places this amount per acre has been
exceeded. Toe rennerS pay "a per ton, ana
after the exp.nse of plowing, seeding, thin
ming, harvesting, freight elc., is deducted,
about 50 per ton will be the Iroht Tor the
farmer. Hence we have good ana sure mar
ket for the la Dor of our coIonists.
Fourth-Accordlng to your instructions we
called upon Claus Spreckels TO seek his advice
and cooperation in the matter. He received
US most cordially, and promised most
hearty interest IN the matter if we put indus
most liberal offer of land, proposing % let us
have ii at the price he paid for IL, and giving
our colonists from eight to ten years 10 pay
ior the same. He assured US that he would
back up the enterprise to any extent II 1t gave
proper indications OF success.
Flfth-Large tracts OF land have been OF
fered US on most liberal terms by Messrs. W.
E. Winham. Jesse d. Carr, c. L. Romle, the
Salinas Valley Water Company and others,
much of which we hope 10 be able 10 take up
later, the movement progresses. But Tor
the present we advise the acceptance OF Mr..
Spreckels' offer Oh 700 acres OF the Sobranes
ranch near SoIedad. as the soil has been test
ed and demonstrated to be exactly what is
needed for our purpose. Then, too, large
tract OF wood and, covering some 100 acres, Is
found there, which Will be OF service to the
colonists for fuel. The price OF the 600 acres
is 500 per acre and OF the 100 acres ot timber
land SO per acre. The Salinas River flows
past, ich makes 1t advantageous for irriga-
tion. We have visited the land twice and
have every reason 10 believe 1t is the most
suitable in nearly every way.
xth-We have also made inquiries in re-
gard to the construction OF buildings, and find
that they can be erected Tor about $4,000. But
if the lumber merchants and railroads viii
make concessions 1T can be done Tor mucn
less.
Seventh-Besides these buildings, it is neces-
sary 10 secure about thirty or forty horses and
plows to Immediately turn over the soil for
the next crop This should be done in Au-
gust. Hence immediate acuon Is needed.
These horses will cost about $50 or $40 each.
1t wall require fully $1,000 Tor this purpose,
including plows and wagons.
Eghth-Each colouist (and there will be
sixty, assigning ten acres 10 each) should have
one CIV, pig, thirty or forty chickens and an
incubator 10 begin with. This viii cost al to-
e. ther bout $50 each, or $4,000. A pumpa and
other necessarles will have TO be provided,
which will necessitate our raising at least
$25, 900 10 begin with.
Ninth-We would suggest that the chairman
of the general committee appoint executive
and finance committees for the purpose OF
carrying this into effect.
Major Winchell informed the mem bers
of the committee that he had alre adv re-
ceiyed between 800 and 400 applications
from people who were desrous of securing
a homestead in the proposed colony. He
said the people who applied seemed to be-
long to the industrious class-men who, ii
given the opportunity, would work faith
fully. Most of them lived in this City, but
there were applications from the East
aiso, one being from man in New Or
leans.
Mr.. Bunker inquired what amount
would be necessary to settle single fam
lily in the colony. He was informed that
no such estimate had been made. It was
incumbent on the committee, If it ac-
cepted the offer OF Mr.. Spreckels, to culti-
vate the entire tract of land, explained
Chairman Ebert. He added that enough
people would have to be located on the
land this fall to make it produce a crop of
beets for next season.
, In the report submitted by Ellert and
Winchell it was stated that plowlng would
have to begin in August. Bunker thought
the time between now and the date pdi-
Gated was too short to raise the amount
specified in he report. After some dis
cussion the committee came TO tne con-
clusion that if plowlng was not begun un-
til November there would be ample time
to get the land in condition for the seed
Ing.
In the course of further debate Ellert
stated that he thought $4,000 wound be
sufficient to locate about thirty families.
Green suggested that the hest plan
would be to raise as much money as possi-
BILE and then settle as MANY colonlsts as
such amount would provide for. He then
moved the ado, tion of the report. Bun
ker seconded the motion and the report
was duly adopted.
Before taking an adjournment it was
decided to call meeting of the ctIzens'
committee OF fifteen for Monday at 2
o'clock at the Office OF Mr.. Ellert. At This
meeting it is expected that measures will
be adopted for raising the necessary funCs.