The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-15
The Salvation Army COL
OnizatiOn Scheme.
Surplus Population to BE
Made TillerS of the Soil.
Details of an Experiment to BE En-
tered On in California.


employed may be assisted to become SELF
sustaining and helpful citizens of the
state The San Francisco Cali says,
| in reference to Maj. Winohells statement
OF the scheme, that the idea is TO acquire
| public and private lands for TIE surplus
| population OF the state, who may by their
| Industry applied TO such lands gain
| livelihood, and in time their own homes
| Similar work in England, India ana
| Australia, 1t is claimed. resulted in the
most abandoned city characters becoming
contented settlers of tho soil. IL is hoped
that three-fourths OF all the unemployed
will avail themselves of tho opportunity
TO acquire home in the country ana that
many who are now earning small wages
will also DO induced TO change urban for
suburban employment which promises
| future Independence.
| Should the first colony prove success
IL Is believed many capitalists will be In
| 1luenced to invest money In settling what
| are now idle and unpr ofitable lands In
| the state, and will do away with the
| humiliating system of temporary RELIEF.
| There would be no excuse for any one
begging
| Mai Winchel states in his report that
| he has been offered 800. 600 acres OF land
| since the visit of Commander Booth
| Tucker. Among the moro desirable lands
| he mentioned those of the Walker estate
| in Sonoma County, the Cotate ranch ana
the Kenwood property in the same
| county, and some of the lands OF the
Cremelita Vineyard Company OF Fresno
| County.
IL IL proposed to limit the holding OF
each settler to not more than ten acres, as
| il Is believed this area can be worked TO
| the best advantage by one person. Forty
acres will be reserved for army headquar-
ters Ten acres will be used for buildings
/ and ~ for
purposes. The proposed headquarters are
| described In detail rs follows:
| On the ten acres would be erected the
| central Headquarters and Office with
| bank to facilitate the interchange OF prod
| ucts and an experienced accountant TO
| keep account and report To the headquar-
| ters in San Francisco and New York.
| Here the governor or superintendent or
| the colony would have his office. He
would have the general oversight OF tho
entire colony. This headquarters build
| ing could DO subdivided into offices for tho
| agricultural teacher, or director, and other
| assistants In general There would also
| be a large store for the interchange of prod
ucts. also a blacksmith shop, packing
house. barber shop factory, dairy, and
| large incubator under the direction OF an
| experienced fowl breeder who would look
after this entire branch throughout the
| colony There would be building or n
| public hall and club rooms for the de-
| velopment of the social interests OF the
| colonists also a schoolhouse, under COM
| petent teachers, who would teach accord
| ing to the state laws covering public in
| structioD.
Detailed descriptions are given of the
| provision To be made for each colonist mt
| the start, the method Of discipline to be
adopted how products are to he exchanged,
| how irrigation is TO be accomplished, how
| colonists are to be encouraged to put forth
hair hoet g
| tries are To be developed in addition to
agricultural pursuits.
In discussing the financial phase of the
project Major Wincbell expresses the opin-
| ion that S25. 600 will be necessary to launch
the scheme and that IL can be secured
either by popular subscription or as
loan at n low rate OF interest.
Claus Spreckelr. the sugar king has en-
tered heartily into the project and fsvors
the colonization OF the unemployed OH
beet sugar land.
II shall be most happy to do everything
can to aid this project. " said the sugar
king. 1.-THE idea Is certainly a good one,
for many reasons. All that / shall
ask on nv part is that the men be indus
trious. If they prove to be so they will
have no difficulty in not only making a
living, but in acquiring competence
and even becoming the owners of homes.
The opportunities exist, and IL will re-
main with the men themselves to use
them properly.
MEN who are willing to work on farms
is what this state needs and there Is no
better field than in the raising of sugar
beets. There nre now more than 100 fam
lilies who were installed on lands which
owned. / provided them with shelter and
had my men instruct thems In their work.
They are now all i'm fair way to shortly
own their own farms, for the profits arc
very large.
when the sugar factory near Salinas
Is completed next year we will be able to
utilize the product of 40, 600 acres of land.
while there are now not more than 10 900
acres grown To bcots in that section Of the
state. When IL is understood that sugar
beet farming gives employmgent to 40
men where grain growing furnishes work
| to only one man, the people Will compre-
| hend the Importance of encouraging the
| industry in every possible way.
"It ia because l realize the importance
| of this question TO our laboring classes
| that am opposed to tho Hawaiian treaty.
| In Hawaii tho laborors on the sugar
] plantations earn SIP month, while In
/ California mono get less than 81 n day, or
So a month, and the money is kept in
| this state. "
What would he your plan for coloniz-
ing the unemployed on beet sugar landY'
| WAS asked
~ have about completed negotiations
! for 600 acces of fine beet land. This / am
| willing to rent or sell on easy terms to
| parties of colonists, and l will make 10
my business to see that they receive
proper instructions in the practical work
! Of raising bests. Further. / will make
! contracts with them TO buy all the beets
they raise for 81 n ton.
Then there is another large tract of
about GO0O ncres, for which / have espec-
inlly imported n steam plow which turns
over the soil TO n depth Of IL inches. This
lana has top layer of adobe, which Is
very hard-almost impossible-to work
with an ordinary plow and horses. With
the steam plow we will go beneath the
adobe To the scdmentarv soil below and
work the two together. IL will then make
the host kind of land for sugar beets. The
work of plowing this up will be com.
menced shortly, and as fast as IL Is brought
into condition 10 will also he placed at
tho service OF those who are at the head oi
this colonization scheme, If they want it.
II want TO say that all this land IL pc.
culiarly adapted 20 sugar beet growing
We're it not would not have bought IL.
l. = -.