The San Francisco call., 1897-03-24
LAND HO!
FOR LABOR
Booth fuckers Plan for
Helping the Poor in
Cities.
VEGETABLES TO GROW
ON VACANT LOTS.
Horticulture as Substitute for
the Degraded Chain
gang.
LABORERs WILL BE TAUGHT
AGRICULTURE.
Rousing Salvation Army Meeting in
Metropolitan Temple for the
Benefit of the Poor.
LAB0RERS WILL BE TAUGHT
AGRICULTURE.
Rousing Salvation Army Meeting il
Metropolitan Tempe for the
Benefit of the Poor.

OOm DOOLD- uCk0r SDOk6 10 d
CALL reporter with great enthusiasm yes
terday on his project to put the unem-
ployed at tremunerative labor. His scheme,
he said, was for the permanent relief OF
the poor rather than tor cases of tempe
Tary emergency. At the same time, when
the temporary emergency arises the Sal
vaton Army has all the machinery for
handling it on a large scale. The COM
mander added:
in New York City we fed and sheltered
5000 people every night for fortnight
during the cold and bitter weather. In
the city of Detroit alone we distributed
clothing and groceries costing $500, 600 in
three months. The citizens co-operated
splendldly with US there.
Under the present condition of things
the honest man is turned into rogue and
the hard working man is made lazy.
When d man says, L cannot earn my own
living, then society has a right TO say,
You shall get your living, and drive him
out upon piece OF land. Our remedy is
briefly TO form city colonies as a tempo
rary expedient to enable US to sort out
the worthy and willing, and, having done
that. we turn our eyes to the land and
city 10 the country. 1 have coined word
hich seems TO fit the case. 1t is 'homi-
culture'-the cultivation of men.
II propose TO effect this object in three
or four ways. First by arranging course
of lectures to City workingmen and the
masses who attend our meetings, delivered
in the most attractive manner possible,
with stereopticon views and music. We
propose to give away plants and roots for
n ui
dow-sills, with the intention of impant-
ing IN the minds OF the people q knowl-
edge of the uses OF land and a love of
nature, together with a practical knowl-
edge of agriculture.
"In connection with that work we will
get the owners OF vacant lots in and
around the City who are holding their
lands for speculative purposes to lend
them to us for the use of workingmen in
the Clty-not SO much those who are out
of work altogether, but We take them be-
fore they get absolutely out of work. We
catch him before he is reduced to his last
cent, when he is earning but bare living
and when a any moment he is liable TO
be turned out of his employment. We
let him and his wife raise vegetables on
this land, not for the purpose of selling
but of eating them.
This will be of great educational ad-
vantage to them. They and their chill
QF6H get 10 KNOW anu 10 ike LQ6 III uQ.
Eou say to them after they have reached
that point: There is a fve-acre lot twenty
or thirty miles outside the City and by
paying out OF your earnings dollar
week you can become the owner of it.
The land is fenced, the plants are in,
cow and some chickens are there all ready
for you and you can walk right in. You
don't need to give up your job in the City,
but send your wife and children there and
pay US 81 a week.
II want 1t to be a business proposition,
not charitable one, but something which
will return a reasonable percentage of in
terest. It will be necessary to establish
fund of $4,000 or $4,000, for with a
small amount you can accomplish great
deal. We will bond tract of land and
b1y it as we are able TO develop it. 1t
must be good soil which will yield re-
turn for the work put into it. Bad land is
dear even If ii COSTS nothing.
Let some OF the business gentlemen of
this City risk something for once for the
love of God 10 help their fellow man, ana
If they desire they can have the manage
ment of it, They will be in a position to
get or per cent IN terest.
In addition to that | want to utilize
the existing ranches by telling the pro-
prietors that we will help them to find
men from the cities who are suita bic to
work on their places-not the riff-raff, but
addition to their wages they should be
given little bit OF land and If possible
board and lodging. They should say to the
men, Come with your wives and children
and settle here, and allow each man dur
ing good behavior the use of three or
five acres where he can grow what he
likes. That will prove a stepping. stone
out of the misery OF the streets"
Commander Booth Tucker called on
Mayor Phelan yesterday by appointment
and explained to the City's chief execu-
tive the plan of the system he hopes to in
augurate. The Mayor was deeply inter-
ested in the matter and asked many oues-
tions, showing that he is thoroughly up
to-date on the business outlook of such a
proposition.
He promised Booth Tucker all the as
slstance possible in carrying out the plan.
The Mayor is also much interested in
the Plngree plan for aiding the unem-
ployed, which is named after Governor
Pingree OF Mchi an, who originated it
and demonstrated its feasi bility at Detroit,
Mich. In the Eastern city AL acres
were titled by several hundred unem-
ployed or persons who were only partially
employed and the result was that out OF an
outlay of $2400 for seed and other matters
that had to he paid for there was net
profit of $28 595 during 1896. The crop was
in the main potatoes.
Such scheme for helping the unem-
ployed and utilizing idle city and private
land may be tried when the boulevard is
finished.
Mayor Phelan thinks that the proposed
driveway should be disposed of first.
At TMETPODnI ITAN TEMDI