The evening times., 1900-01-13
Gardens i'm Vacant Lots.

Considerable ridicule was heaped upon
the proposition made some years ago that
the poor be allowed to cultivate vacant
lots in cities and though the experiment
was tried here and there, il was generally
abandoned after a short time But Phila-
delphia has a vacant lot cultivation asso-
citation which seems to have been very
successful. The statistics for the year just
past show that two hundred and fifty fam
lilies were benefited by this plan, and that
they raised fifteen thousand dollars worth
of vegetables at cost of two thousand five
hundred dollars, including Seeds tools, and
SUPPLEMENTARY. This result was surely
worth all the trouble of trying the expert
ment. The produce was raised chiefly by
old men and women and children. Purely
as an economic measure it would seem to
be a success.
In these modern days We have drifted
away Somewhat from the old-time notions
of economy. Housewives used to save pa
per. string, and pins with great care. AL
most no one does il now, at least in city
households. In thousands of ways waste is
allowed where it was formerly forbidden
more value than the small amount of
money saved. The man who earns four
! dollars a day cannot afford 10 waste his
1 day in petty economies. What is economy
! for one man is wastefulness in another.
/ This is the day of large ventures and in
! tense exertion. not OF slow saving and care
full expenditure. We are coming TO under
stand that some of the old fashioned ways
were penny wise and pound foolish.
But for all that. absolute waste does not
do anyone much good, even in this day and
/ generation. So long as people are starving
/ for the want Of bread, il is worth while 10
save the bread for their use. One of the
things most needed in philanthropy is some
way by which the shirtless backs may be
put into the shirts and wasted wealth
brought to those who need it. When the
rich cover their walls and staircases with
roses and leaves. the flowers to wither after
the guests have departed, that is waste.
But when, as sometimes happens. the host
ess gathers up the still fresh blossoms
and sends them TO a hospital or an orphan
asylum. she gladdens hundreds of people
who have LITTLE beauty in their lives Such
kindliness costs nothing except little time
and thought and il somehow makes a
pleasanter impression on the recipient than
gifts. which cost only the drawing Of
check. payable to the order of some phil
anthropic society.
OF course the city can afford to take
care of its poor. by out-and-out gifts of
food coal, and clothing But there are
hundreds of people who shrink from ac-
cepting actual charity, but would be
thankful for the chance to raise their own
vegetables in a little plot of ground 1t
is not necessary that the poor should sell
their produce and come into competition
with the regular dealers, thus taking the
market away from other poor folk who
live by such gardening. They can raise
only enough for their own use; and as
many country people know, d family can
live comfortably OF the vegetables which
can be raised in a small garden from June
TO September. Such a scheme as this, if
carried out on a large scale Of course
involves the old question Of convict labor.
But. as there can be no objection to con-
victs making their own clothing, raising
their own vegetables. doing their own
carpenter work and supplying their own
wants 50 far practicable, so the poor
should be encouraged to take care of
themselves and each other II is much
better TO establish a bureau. where half
worn garments can be deposited and sold
TO the pocr for fair price, and needy
women employed in making such cloth-
ing nj for use, than to give the
wCmen money and present the clothing,
just a. it is to those who have no time
or skill in repairing il. The vacant-lot
principle is a good one, and in one city,
al least. il seems to have worked exceed
usly well in practice.
Major General Wood has started his work
Of reform ia Cuba in most promising ;
manner His prompt deposition of the
Havana Supreme Court fiscal. for practices
Of an Iberian nature, encourages the be-
lief that he will soon have the whole island
in as desirable a condition of good order
ana good government as he had the
Province OF Santiago soon after he took
of it We cannot help thinking
how thankful some people must be that
Wood was not given the Philippines COVER
nor 'generalship.
II may be trife embarrassing to the
British Government, that the Kaiser has
ordered the Krupp Company not to sell ii
my more shells or ordnance and We are
fraid that this violent interference with
he contracts under way may be a source
f discomfort TO the proprietors But per-
APPS there may be means of getting around !
be difficulty Some American firm might
AXE the contract of the hands of Lord !
alisbury buy the goods it contemplates, ,
n speculation; start to bring them over ]
ere. and have them captured by one of
b. Ms cruisers
The Newfoundland fisheries modus vi
-endi between England and France has
cen continued for another year, thus for
tine postponing trouble. But ii yet re-
mains for the British Colonial Secretary L
0 force the bitter pill down the throat Of t
be Newfoundland Legislature, which body c
as been inclined to turbulence over the C
natter for some years. But at last il will S
e good and submit and so the grave in j
=rnational question as to whether a lob Il
ter is a fish, an insect. or bird must re- q
lain unsettled indefinitely. b