The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-16
Condition of Hebrew Colonies In Ar
gentine Republic.
VIEWS OF A RESIDENT
ENTERTAINING ACCOUNT CIV
EN- BY MR.. VAN GoRDER.
Says the Hirsch Colonists Are Still
Supported By the Hirsch Fund
Cannot Farm and Are Robbed By
Their Managers-Political Condi-
tons In Argentina.

The statement was made last even
ing at the Kenyon hotel by a resident
of the Argentine Republic that the Ba-
ron Hirsch Russian Jew colonies in the
province of Entire Rios were practic-
ally failures and that without contin-
nual aid from the Hirsch fund the
colonists would likely starve to death.
A. f. Van Gorder, who is a farmer
and stockraiser at Gualequaychu, thirty
miles from the colony of San Juan,
said that the Hirsch colony was simply
another illustration of the futility of
| these schemes. The colonists are now
almost being supported by funds from
the outside.
Mr.. Van Gorder has been in the Ar
gentine for twelve years and has made
farming and cattle raising successful.
He was there when the first Russians
landed and he has watched their pro-
gresS during the past six or eight years.
He has come north to visit the United
States for the first time since he has
been away and came here from Seattle,
on his way to Denver and New Orleans.
Making No Progress.
"These Russian Jews are not consid-
cred desirable immigrants" said he
last evening. They have had 9. long
time in which to get a foothold, and
they are now in almost as poor a condf-
ton as when they first arrived. They
are paupers now, as they were when
they came. Were it not for the Hirsch
charity they would starve to death.
THE trouble is very evident. They
are the scum and offscouring of Rus
sian cities and were doubtless Jews
who had not been practically paupers
at home. They were brought from the
great Russian cities absolutely ignorant
of farming and knowing nothing about
the Argentine AS the Jews are prob
ably the most thrifty people on earth,
and as a general rule never seek nor
need charity, 1 suppose these immi-
grants were of a worthless class Any
way, they don't know anything about
farming, and they don't show an in
clination to learn. There are several
thousand of them in the province of
Entire Rios, and one colony is within
thirty miles of my home, SO that L have
seen them.
Live In Villages.
''They are arranged in villages in the
cer1ter of farming districts. Each family
is given from twenty to fifty acres near
the village where they live, and they
go to and from their fields every day
Their principal product is wheat But
they don't farm, for they don't know
anything about it, or seem to care
much. Provisions are distributed to
them by the managers of these villages.
The manager generally steals half
that he receives to give to the colonists.
He is almost an absolute dictator, being
a village government all in himself
There have been numerous complaints,
and the men who have control of the
colonies are stealing enough to live
well. As there is no one TO question
them, there is no way to keep them
from robbing the poor cooniSts. If the
system continues for a great length of
time the managers viii be rich and
the colonists win simply break up.
Crops a Failure.
For the past two seasons locusts
have injured the wheat crops so that
these people are worse off than ever,
and there is great call for charity. But
it is unlikely that this generation will
ever become self-supporting. If the
Hirsch funds last long enough to keep
the colonies together until another gen
Grafton has arisen. they may be saved,
for the sons and daughters of the orig
inal colonists may take up farming in
practical way and become successful
at it, like other foreigners who have
gone to the Argentine. But the attempt
to make Woodworking, industrious
farmers out of the scum of Russian
cities is already shown to be failure.
Argentine Politics.
Speaking of political and commercial
conditions in the Argentine, Mr.. Van
Gorder said: THE administration of
President Rocca is the best the country
ever had. He rules with an iron hand,
and though nominally a president, is
in reality dictator. But this is the
only way to govern the people. II any
license is given them revolutions Will
follow.
There has been no revolution since
1890, and as a consequence of the sta
bility there has been wonderful pro-
gress. There have been heavy invest
ments of English, American and Ger
man capital as the result of regular and
orderly government. These South Am
erican revolutionists and dictators are
generally thieves, and their purpose is
simply to get a chance to steal from
the public In fact, a public office is
quite generally recognized as a private
snap. President Rocca is an honest
man, and being able and daring, he has
great influence"