The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-06
THE HINGREE SYSTEM
City and County Officials Giving
it Attention.
LIKELY TO BE TRIED IN SALT
LAKE CITY.
How it Originated in Detroit-Car-
ried Out With Marked Success
Report Made by the Committee
Having the Matter in Hand.

The proposed establishment OF the
Pingree system of potato farms for
the poor in this city is at present en-
crossing the attention of the county
commissioners and the special COM
mittee composed of Mulvey, Romney
and Wiscomb from the city council.
Several conferences have been held,
and unless cold water is thrown on
the scheme by the council, the system
will be inaugurated in the spring.
Next Tuesday night the city will be
asked to appropriate Sl,OVo ana ike
amount will be forthcoming from the
county.
The system in successful operation
in Detroit will be followed out as far
as practicable. 1t may, therefore, be
of some interest to know something
about the system as carried out in
that CITY.
THE SYSTEM.
A committee consisting of the mayor
of Detroit, a captain of the United
States army and another public-spir-
tied citizen started out with the de-
termination of attaining the greatest
possible results with the least eXpend-
iture of public money. Their services
were rendered gratuitous. BY sending
letters to a large number of residents
daily papers the committee succeeded
in getting 400 acres in vacant land
principally lots-donated for free use.
Contracts for blowing and narrowing
were let at $2.25 per acre and fine seed
potatoes were bought at 20 cents per
bushel, delivered when and where de-
sired within the city limits without
additional cost. All necessary clerical
and other help were employed to keep
OF
quarters, and to measure, stake, num-
Der and give out lots, two bushels of
seed potatoes and instructions how to
plant them to beneiciaries on the
ground when ready, so that planting
could begin Immediately. All help was
discharged when the seed had been al
lotted and the ground prepared, except
one clerk at $1.75 and an inspector at
81 per day, who furnished his own
the growing season.
All land was carefully measured
into quarter-acre lots, except very
few, which, owing to irregular outline,
were a trifle smaller. Over 40 quar-
ter-acre lots were clowed and har-
rowed and 1,751 heads of families were
given each one lot to plant, with the
exception of about so, who refused to
take the lots given for various reasons,
such as being too far away, not good
ground, etc. The 1,701 families who
received and planted quarter-acre lots
had 1852 children of various ages up
to Is years, making a total of 7,523 per-
sons of both sexes who 'vere benef-
Charles upon the plan, or about one
thirty-fifth of the poulation of the city
of Detroit, and representing Is nation
alities.
The city appropriated $4,000, and do
nations swelled the amount to S4149.97,
which the committee had available for
its use. OF this amount only 81, 400
was expended and this included seed,
labor, blowing. in fact everything nee
essary to carry the plan through.
THE RETURNS.
The crops raised consisted of pota-
toes, beans, turnipS, beets, corn, cab
bage, squash, pumpkins and cucum-
berS. Figuring the crops raised at the
regular market price, the total repre-
scented a value of $50, $3.50. In other
in a net profit to the city of Detroit OF
SIS, $3.50; practically over $4,000 in
taxation saved the taxpayers.
Two mounted patrolmen visited the
farms daily during the season, report
ing anything that required attention,
and the police in general were directed
to protect the farms" as much as
not inconsistent with their other duties.
The care bestowed by the individual
owners upon their lots was in general
excellent; only very few were negli-
gent, and to those postal cards were
sent directing them to take proper
care of their lots.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
The report of the committee who
q % Detroit
last year says:
LAS a purely business transaction.
the .Pingree Potato Patch Plan is, to
say the least, a very decided success.
No other plan of helping worthy peo-
pie to help themselves has attracted
such widespread and universal at
tention in the English-speaking world,
certainly not in the United States,
within the memory of most of those
now living. OF the thousands of news
papers and periodicals of the best class
in our country a large number have
given the Detroit plan a more or less
extended notice and in general the
highest commentator. Very many
cities in the Union have adopted the
plan and carried it out with success.
Other objects are unconsciously at
tanned. 1t creates a desire on the part
of theses receiving assistance to have
land of their own if possible; it is also
an object lesson on industry and thrift
that will not be lost on the children
who go out with their parents to as
sist in planting and harvesting the
crops from the pretty babies in their
buggies who incidentally get an out
ing, to the interesting children of or
more years who act as interpreters for
their parents who cannot speak the
language of the country-in this most
beautiful picture all seem contented |
and grateful for the kindness of Provi- |
dence and their fellow beings. No
matter how prosperous the country
may be in the future, there will al
ways be those who require assistance
and it would be the part of wisdom
and economy to make provisions in ad
vance,.
WILL IT BE SUCCESSFUL HEREq
1t is possible, of course, that the
''Pingree Potato Patch plan" can not
be carried out with such a degree of
success as was experienced in the
place of it's origination. The commit |
tee, however, is determined to give it |
a trial All worthy poor able to work |
will be given an opportunity to raise |
sufficient potatoes and garden vege-
tables to materially assist them in sup
porting themselves and families during |
the winter season Those who are
given an opportunity and refuse to |
work will have to go a little hungrier |
next winter and by the opening of an
other season they may find it to their |
interest to work. The present system !
Of giving poor people groceries and |
fuel has a tendency to make the re-
too absolutely dependent upon |
the public. They become accustomed |
to receiving aid and oftentimes refuse |