The herald., 1897-03-09

about their life, suppementing the
questions put to them in the office. He
is practical religionist and looks after
all the interests of the men and their
positions outside.
There were in all forty-two men in
the colony at that time, but in winter
they number over 100. They were from
all walks of life-school teachers, clerks.
officials in the civil service, officers of the
army, students in the university, and
even noblemen, though mechanics and
day laborers were most numerous"
CHARITY AND SELF SUPPORT.
The colonies are supported mainly by
private charity and the proceeds of the
work of the colonists. In some cases
the district in which colony is situated
helps 1t out of the public funds, and in
Berlin a society of several thousand
members contributes largely to the
maintenance of the colony there. Each
member pays a specified annual fee and
receives a number of tickets which en-
title him to send men to the colony,
where they are taken in, IL room can be
found for them and they prove them
selves worthy.
NOT HALF WORTHY"
Mr.. Flynt afterward visited the col
ony clothed a. in his right mind"
He asked the hausvater what percent
considered worthy. mot half" he re-
Piled, 'the majority are men who on ac-
count of their bad habits would go un-
der in the struggle In any country. They
are not actual tramps, in the sense that
they are absolutely averse to work. but
most Of them want work they cannot
ind
do you consider them fair repre-
sentatives of the so-called army or the
unemployed?'
They are good representatives OF the
men who are continually talking about
lack of employment"
"Of what use then do you consider
the colony?"
TT Is useful in helping us to form a
more or less correct idea of who the
worthy unemployed are. All sorts and
conditions come into these colonies and
we soon find out who are deserving and
who are not. The former we do our
best to place in suitable situations and
to the latter we give the beneht or our
home, believing that the strict order and
discipline required can at least do them
no harm, and may possibly help them.
In this way we are able to keep pretty
we'll informed about the real situation
which was impossible before the COL
onies existed. Then when great stress
was reported we had to take the state
ment more or less on trust. Today we
can tell to a nicely as far as single men
are concerned, how much real need ex-
lists, and that goes long way towards
settling the problem. The colony
serves as a test house where man can
prove If he wishes, his determination
to help himself"
NO COMPULSION.
OF the German labor colonies Francis
G. Peabody writes: "They are not
penal institutions; they do not compel
men either to come or stay; they are
not under state control, and stand firm
ly for self help. They do not offer any
attraction to men who are bent on the
tramp career, for they give small pay
for diligent work. They are PROVIDED
for those who, though fallen, want to
rise. They are simply refugees where
the man who wants work and cannot
find it may go for any period up to two
years, and be sure. at least, of self sup
port Any man who wants to work
ought to have chance to work. ana any
man who has even the remnants or the
spirit OF self help in him ought to IND
circumstances where self help Is en-
couraged; such are the first principles
Of labor colonies"
Wilhelmsdorf, the oldest and largest
| colony, is seven miles from Bielfeld. 1t
| Is a great plain of sand, over which the
| mother ocean once flowed. and has re-
| mained almost uncultivated. Beneath
| this sand, however, at a distance of
about three feet, there has been found
a stratum of hard mari, which, when
thrown up to the sun, softens into fairly
fruitful soil.
A part OF this dreary region has been
transformed by the labor colonists into
a garden. The home has room for two
hundred colonists, and between August,
1882, when 1t was founded, up to jan
uary, 1890, 1t has received 5,637 colonists,
and provided 476,176 days labor. OF the
total number only 275 have either run
away or been dismissed for misconduct" !"
EXPENSES OF MAINTENANCE
Expense Of maintenance per capita
at Wilhelmsdorf is reckoned at about
thirteen cents q day. Each colonist
must serve for the first fortnight for his
food and lodging. He is then credited
for second fortnight with eight cents
day, and later with thirteen cents on
the principle that he earns his food and
lodging in half days work, and is paid
the equivalent of it for the second half
days industry. The total cost of main
tenance Of Wilhelmsdorf in 1889 was
about $4,000, and the earnings were
about half that sum. The colony does
not pretend to he self supporting. 1t
was originally purchased by grant of
the province, and it's annual deficit Is
met by voluntary contributions from
the various counties represented by its
colonists and by private gifts. 1t is ar
gued that the protection of the COM
munity from mendicancy is in iself suf-
fcient.
CONCLUSIONS.
Mr.. Peabody, in summing up his OBJ
servations, says: "The colonies must
be small; Wilhelmsdorf. the largest, has
room for two hundred, while Madge-
burg, the smallest. has but twenty
eight beds. Huge colonies would lose
many of the chances of success. Small
communities must be settled in unfre-
quented places and employed in clemen-
tary work. A difficulty which 1t would
seem might have been anticipated has