Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11
PROBLEMS DISCUSSED
Drift of Population Toward
the Cities.
RIDER HAGGARD'S VIEW
DELIVERS ADDRESS AT LUNCH
EoN IN HIS HONOR.
Citizens of Washington Hosts at Func.
ton Given at Shoreham Hotel
Visits White House.

author and economist, was the guest OF
| honor at luncheon at the Shoreham Hotel
| at noon today, rendered him by those citi-
| zens of Washington who are connected with
| the work of the City Gardens Associat ton.
| of which Mr.. b. H. Warner is president.
| Mr.. Haggards visit to the United States is
as commissioner appointed by the British
| government to investigate city garden
| work. colonization schemes and the general
| problem of bringing the landless man into
| the manless land
| 1t was originally intended that the lun-
| cheon be held at 1870 this afternoon. but
President Roosevelt yesterday fixed that
hour as the time when he could best see Mr..
| Haggard. and the luncheon hour was adj
vanced to II o'clock in consequence. Mr..
| B. II. Warner presided and there were brief
addresses by Commissioner Mcfarland Mr..
Haggard, Mr.. Eki Hioki. first secretary OF
the Japanese legation. and several others
Mr.. B. Fl. Warner requested Commission
| er Macfarland to welcome the distinguished
Englishman TO the national capitai, when
he did in very happy little speech. To
express his sentiments Mr.. Mcfarland told
| the story of a very noisy dinner party, at
which an English and an American woman
were discussing questions of national I'M
portance. But this latter fact wasn't ex-
actly understood when during a sudden hull
| in the general conversation. the woman
was heard to say: And l see no reason
why we should not love each other more
and more. That was just the way he felt,
Mr. Mcfarland said There was no rea-
son why I'VE should not love each other
more and more.
Mr. Macfarland spoke of Mr.. Haggards
great literary reputation and said that, as
WIS we'll known, the distinguished author
| was making an even greater reputation for
| himself as successful agrculturiSt and
| political economist and as a student OF
| some of the most difficult and battling So
| Geological problems of the day. In fact,
| Mr.. Mcfarland said. it was the problem of
| problems. the question of what to DO with
! the idle men in the cities and the idle land
| in the country. He hoped that Mr.. Hag-
| CARDS mission would be successful and
| that he would take back with him the most
| pleasant impressions and the consequences
| of good work and good results.
Greeted With Applause.
| Mr.. Haggard was greeted with loud ap-
| plause when he arose to speak. He said
| he congratulated himself on being asked
| to address such an audience, but felt rather
| diffident and bashful, as Mr.. Warner had
assured him that he was addressing an as
| semblage of distinguished orators. Mr..
| Eaggard thanked the previous speakers
| for their complimentary references to his
| literary fame, and said that he would let
| it rest there without any further refer
| ence, except to say that because he was
| an author it didn't mean that he had no
| other aim in life than to write successful
| fiction.
There was time" said Mr.. Haggard
when merely because man was writer
! of fiction it was thought he could do moth
| ing else. l have observed writers OF hctloa,
| and / have noticed that oftentimes they
| are able men in other matters as well.
| Their rare gift of observation often enables
| them to do a great deal more than one not
| so gifted
| ticed that every literary man had two or
more Sides He had observed since coming
to the United States that he had been de-
scribed in the papers as having keen, shifty
gray eyes, fine, frank, open blue eyes. p!erc-
| ing black eyes and soft brown eyes.
He had been described as short and
stout, long and lean, large and imposing
small and insignificant. average and ordi-
| nary and he had been pictured as
typical farmer and as dyed-in-the-wool
author. In fact, he said, there was no type
of human being he old not resemble. ac-
cording to the descriptions of him that had
been published.
The distinguished author said he con-
sidered the constantly growing drift to-
ward the cities one of the most. il not
the most important problems of the age
and century. The power of the city to at
tract the population from the country was
becoming more and more apparent every
day and it WAS high time that steps were
taken to remedy the evil.
Mr.. Haggard said it had been practically
proved beyond dispute that three genera
tons in the London slums would wipe out
a family absolutely 1t was the same in
New York. of course, in the slums of
any of the great cities.
Reason for Japan's Success.
He was of the opinion. he said that one
reason why the Japanese had been 50 sig
nally successful in their present war with
Russia was that they were absolutely and
entirely an agricultural people, with the
good habits, natural TO tillers of the soil
The banquet hall rang with applause when
Mr.. Eaggard mentioned the successes of
Japana and the japanese first secretary was
Obliged to rise and bow his thanks before
Mr.. Haggard could proceed
Mr.. .Haggard said he had talked with Mrs
| Booth, the head of the Salvation Army in
the United States, and she had given him
many instances of the killing influence of
the cities. He denied the truth of the state
ment that men and women of the slums
would not go to the country, would not
work in the country and would not pay for
their land when able to do so. He said
experience had been just the other way
Idle men, idle land and idle capital should
be brought together, Mr.. Haggard thought
for the general betterment of the poor Of
the cities and the Sums
Soon after concluding his remarks Mr.
Haggard took his leave to keep his engage
ment with the President. Mr.. Nesbitt, who
followed, discussed briefly the work of the
city gardens association in the vicinity of
Washington. where. he said the practical
bility and feasibility of the system had
been demonstrated. The trinity of idle
I1eu, Iuie lanQ ana lule money, he said,
could be brought together in very useful
unity.
Mr.. Hiski made brief speech, thanking
those present for their sympathy toward
his country.
The Guests Present.
Those present at the luncheon were Mr.. H.
Rider Haggard. Miss A. Rider Haggard,
Miss Sipe, Mrs. Harding. Mrs. Munsey,
Mrs. Herwin, Miss Woodward, Mr.. Cay
gill, Mr. B. H Warner, Mr.. S. w. Woodwa I'd
Mr.. A. B. Brown, Mr.. Geo, Truesdell, Mr. c.
J. Bell, Mr.. w. v. Cox. Mr.. J. H. Ralston,
Mr.. F. L. siddons. Mr.. J. B. sleman, jr..
Mr.. L. d. Latimer, Mr. r. Quincy Smith,
Mr.. F. o. Richardson, Mr.. D. H. Waters,
Mr.. William E. Curtis, Mr.. George Otis
Smith, Col. w. F. Hart Mr.. Walter C.
Clephane, Mr. Zedd H. Copp Mr. VIM. B.
King Mr.. John Joy Edison, Mr. A. D. Marks.
Mr.. George 8. Wilson, DR.. Woodward, Rev.
Dr. Van Schaick. General Sternberg. Mr..
Franklin Fl. Wentworth. Mr.. H. J. Brown.
Mr.. A. 7. Hensey. Mr.. c. B. Rheem.
Mt. Charles F. Weller. DR.. c. r.
Neill. Mr.. w. N. Weston. Mr.. ]. e.
jerks, Mr.. F. n. Hitchcock, Mr..
II. F. Blount, Mr. A. Lisner, Mr..
George H. Harries, Mr.. Newcomb, Mr..
Presley. Mr. T. Percy Meyers, Mr.. John
A. Swope, Mr.. J. Hampton Moore. Mr.. L.