The times., 1897-07-11
Commander Booth fuckers Great
Scheme of Colonization.
FARMS FOR THE CITY DRONES
The Idle "rhree Million" TO Bc
Made Self-Supnorting and the SAL
walton Army Still Find Time To
Beat the Big Bass Drum.-The
Generals Plnns.

-AAAA WIN tAtAf eAAANeA 30 Va 'thS piS9NhNN
in Washington to eau upon Secretary
Wilson, of the Agricultural Department,
with a view of securing Information about
the climate and soil in various sections
of tie country where the Salvation Army
propose to inaugurate their indus trial
farms. Secretary Wilson promised to
give whatever aid he could, and also al
ylscd the commander to ias p,o5 land
within a radius of twenty miles of the
District, as the CITY would afford u market
for the produce.
The commander was seen by re-
porter last evening just before his de
parture for the far west, and among other
things he said: MY visit TO the Ge
parJmeut was principally to get in touch
with the officials and TO make lem feel
that in FL our plans we act under their
guidance. The Secretary OF Agriculture
was very kind TO me. and promised to 70
qll in his power
In speaking OF his plans the commander
said: Broadly, our scheme is TO To he the
surplus population of the cities and to
put il on the land An OF the social
trouble, III cur opinion, is the result of the
overcoming OF the people IN tie cities.
The solution of the social problem is The
restoration of the balance OF population.
The cities suffer because of their 3,UO3,-
600 dronCs, and unwilling droncs in most
cases / believe that so per cent Of the
persons who are not self-supporting do not
receive aid from choice, but are driven
to ask assistance because of the wants ur
tieir little ones. Forty or fifty million
dollars are spent annually for puauc
charity If this money was Speut in
putting the people on farms, what benefits
would ensue! Imagine the effects of
putting these 5000 600 persons upon
3,o00 900 acres The milestone would
be taken from the neck OF the people;
society would be freed from the mountain
under which it is struggling.
I'VE have put the plan into operation
on a Small scale in the United States.
A tract of 800 acres near San Francisco
has been acquired; also small farms near
PittSburg and New York IT requires al
most as much money and time 10 run Il
plan of this kind on a small scale on
on large one, and in the end there is
but little 10 show as the result. We hope
in the future, however, to be able to
put the idea into execution in proper
degree of magnitude, and TO show the
people the beneficial effects.
Secretary Wilson advised that we Sc.
cure land near Washington. l told him
that we would like TO do so, as we
would then be brought more prominently
before tile people, and that the eyes OF
the whole country would be upon US.
The objections, however, are twofold. In
the first place, there would be no room
for expansion, and should we secure a
samll tract and 90 to work, the apprecia
ton in value of the land would render
impossible any great growth. The second
is that We are not so particularly look
ing tor market for produce, such as
the city OF Washington would afford as
to give the people an opportunity of cam
ing living.
This latter end could he better attained
in some less thickly settled section Of
the country. The scheme VIII succeed
near a large city, yet any plan which
proposes to deal with three million, which
is anything more than little town lot
affair, must have room for expansion
We shau, perhaps, start something of the
kind in this neighborhood, and are sure
b4df ECcA I6sullS VIII IOllOW.
The Government records contain very
valuable information concerning the soil
and climatic conditions of various sec
tions, and in our acquisition of land in
West. where we hope some day to obta In
large territory, these facts CLEANED and
compiled by the authorities, will be
availed Of
"our trouble now is not the lack tf
land, nor indeed scarcity of colonists, but
rather want OF capital We should like, 4
| may say, to place ourselves under the
wing of the aptaliSts, and 10 supply them
with good colon:sts, to place men and
wcnieh upon land where they may earn
an honest living To put them where they
would not have to work too hard; Where
we could tell them that they need not
struggle TO amass riches for the children,
but could assure them that places would
be made for their sons and also for their
da lighters If it should cost $500 to fix
the colonist, he could pay it back in easy
installnents and at a legal rate of inter
est.
.Our aim is TO let him earn his living
and still have time to beat the big drum
OF the Salvation Army and to save souls
Il am deeply interested in irrigation for
have seen its possibilities in India. The
natives viii pay 20 per cent higher taxes
for land which is open to irrigation than
foT any other, even though there be plenty
of rain in the latter region. OF course,
there are difficulties in the way of in
auguratng this scheme in this country
In India where the plan operates SO ad-
mrably, there is a special department
which inspects the work, and the entire
affair is IN charge of governmental Off
cials trained for the work There arc.
h' viewer, great possibilities here for irIi-
gation''
When questioned about the criminal
classes and what part they would take in
the plan of colonization, Commander Booth
Tucker said:
Il recently received a communication
from the chief executive of 4 Western State
asking inforIa tion about the treatment. of
prisoners. In the course Of my letter I
expressed the opinion that our system of
dealing with the criminals and the Door
is unnatural. We make him a storm tossed
ship without an anchor. The man is placed
In one institution, his wife in another and
his children in third. Ny reply to the
Western governor was that to unrnake
criminal We must anchor him to society
by the safeguards OF the family"