The record-union., 1897-03-25
TIRE SALVATION ARMY PLAN.
Commander Booth Tucker DiSCOurSeS
Thereon.
How 1t is Proposed to Give Relief to
the Poor and Unem-
ployed.

Commander BOOtn-I IucheI, VI IiiC
Salvation Army, addressed small au-
dience at the Congregational Church
last evening, taking for ms theme MS
plan for giving relief for the unemploy-
ed.
In his Introductory remarks the COM
mander stated that during the past SIX
months $4,000 conversions had been
made in the United States alone
through the agency of the Salvation
Army. and of the number at least ~
per cent. were from the cflfnlnai
classes. Both the social and spiritual
work of the army, he said was largely
among the lower strata OF society.
Then. in leading up to his subject, the
speaker submitted that of the I,ooO,-
100000 people in the world, lo,OOO,OOO
We're out of employment, ana stated
that if people We're not exercised over
the condition of things, the time was
not far distant when they would be
obliged to be so. The social operations
of the Salvation Army had only been
set in motion six years ago, but those
six years had given ample proof that
the movement was successful beyond
question.
The proposition, the speaker said was
to strike poverty out of the social
scale. The army had made, and pro-
posed to make, bridges over which the
poor nigh pass from destitution to in
dependence. He sometimes locked up
on the structure as bridge of sighs,
and sometimes as a bridge Of hope.
In London, alone, the speaker said,
5000 people pass over that bridge every
year The cost was S493 ,0OO of which
$4,000 was returned by the persons
assisted, leaving $4,000 to be con-
1ributed from outside sources. Had the
same results been accomplished by the
General Government he estimated that
it would have been at cost to the peo-
pie exceeding S6O0,OU.
Continuing, Commander Booth-Tuck-
er. said: Our plan, which is that OF
General Booth, with notifications 10
suit the changed conditions in America,
is to establish first city colonies, vacant
lot cultivation, better known as the
Pingree plan. l am in correspondence
with the Mayors of cities where this
potato patch plan has been tried and
they all indorse it as successful.
eAs a next step, we would establlsh
colonies consisting of from 100 to l0Oo
acres, as near to large cities as possl-
BILE. to which we would move the wor-
thy unemployed. The plan carried fur
ther with be to establish colonies on
large tracts of 100000 acres and up
wards.
We wish to promote homlculture, a
forgotten art. We believe that the peo-
ple should be transferred to the land,
planted upon it. The 3.000,o0O unem-
ployed in the United States, II they
could be put on the land, would be
made tax-producers instead OF tax-con-
sumers. and the taxable value OF the
land would be increased as we'll. Ihe
land of the colony established by Cen
eral Booth at the mouth of the Thames
has already increased in value from
500 to $1,000 an acre, and not only
this. but the value of the land in the
immediate vicinity of the colony has
increased at such a rate that now 1t
is impossible for US to obtain land there
to extend the limits of our farm.
This is an age of waste; waste of
labor of land and of capital We can
make no progress with our plan unless
we have the cooperation of the three.
1t is proposed to bring the three to-
gether in a systematic way. Where we
are to coIonize .. 900 acres, for instance.
IN 0Ne-acre tracts. We NOuio 4iSl Scild
out twenty families who would find
their twenty homes awaiting them.
These would prepare homes for the
next fifty and the first seventy would
prepare homes for the rest. Where the
little five-acre home with house and
cow and chickens cost $500, we would
charge 81 a month until it was paid
for Where possible these colonies
would be established near large ranches
that steady labor might be furnished
the large ranch owners; and the col
onist be furnished with work"
In conclusion the speaker said he
hoped to see at no distant day colonies
established which would take the poor
of the earth back TO the farm, there to
receive a return for labor expended. He
felt satisfied that the plan, if carried to
its practical conclusion, would solve the
question of the unemployed.