The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-10-01

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struct the workers in the best methods
of farming, irrigating, etc. The land
was prolific and realized every expec-
tation of the promoter, and every cent
he put into the scheme, and every cent
he loaned his tenants to buy fruit trees,
cattle and farming implements has
been paid in full.
When the scheme was nicely started,
Bob, realizing that man works harder
for himself than for others, figured up
each mans account, including all ex-
penses, aud took notes for the amount.
Then he gave each one clean deed to
a tract of land. This was great in
centive to economical management and
was source of happiness to many who
never owned home and never expect
ed to. This was not charitable move
of Bob's, altho it looked like it at the
time and caused big demand for the
tracts which could be secured by work
ing them. The ace up his sleeve proved
to be the water rights which he retained
in his own name.
Now here is man who with $4,000
made 200 families independent, almost
rich, as those tracts are now worth 500
an acre. He received his original in
vestment back with compound inter-
est and has perpetual water rights
which pay him $4,000 year. If he
had divided the $4,000 among 200 fam
lilies in the first place, how many would
now be any better off than they were
when he picked them up in the cities :?
The best use to which million dol
lars can be put is to keep it intact and
with it support an agrarian movement.
Purchase large tracts of land, build a
small house on each subdivision of,
say, forty acres, stock each farm and
then assist any able-bodied man to OBJ
tain a foothold and allow him to pay
for the land and improvements as he is
able. There would be failures, of
course, but the successful might be
taxed with the losses of the less fortu-
nate by an increase of the rate of inter
est, or by some such plan. Each man
should be made to pay for his land and
improvements only the actual cost plus
the interest and pro rata of the expense
of establishing the whole, with the idea
of keeping the original investment in
tact for additional land purposes.
There should be no community idea
about this plan, with the exception OF
the division of losses among the whole
included in the cost of the land. II
would be each man for himself after
he was placed on his feet with the right
to buy and sell where and at what price
he thought best. 1t should be clear
and business proposition like our friend
Bob's, with the exception that the ten
ants or buyers might have everything
without profit to the promoters, the
main point being to keep the million
intact. The promoter should have 6
reasonable interest, however.
believe General Booth is working
along these lines with some success
but the fact that the Salvation Army
is back of it keeps many away wht
have horror of being objects of char
ity. The blue uniform of the army il
an emblem of charity and the tambour
inc will sound the death knell of th'
generals agrarian plan, as the com
munity established by the army savor
too much of the institutional to be per
mantly successful among people VIII
desire liberty above everything.
!, The agent employed to collect install
ments should not even wear badge
such is the horror of institutionalisn
,, among the class an agrarian movemen
, would most benefit. On the contrar.
he should be a brisk, harsh bushes
E man who would extort the last penn
and make himself cordially hated b.
the persons being benefited. The wa
to administer charity that it may be o
lasting benefit and confer the creates
good to the greatest number is:
! 1st. Disguise your charity under tn
+ cloak of business proposition an
q place the person you desire to help in
: position to help himself.
: End. Give the impression if needs b
Il that you are making money out of th
proposition, as the recipient of you
r aid would rather believe you are NAL