Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-09
PLANS FOR COLONIES
Rider Haggard Repo-' ,,ul Il
Work Of , N N-sonoa.
CANADA TtNUERS LAND FOR PURPOSE
Offers Six Townships for Use Of Idle of
Mother Country.
LONDON TIMES CONSIDERS THE IDEA
Finds Much to Commend in Report Of the
British Commissioner.
CORPORATION IN MANY LINES FAVORED
Cost of Locating Family of Five VIII
he One Thousand Dollars, which
should he Repaid in Thirty
six Years.
Finds Much to Commend in Report Of th
British Commissioner
CORPORATION IN MANY LINES FAVoRE

LONDON, July s.-(Special Cablegram to
The Bee. 1.-The scheme Of national land
settlement evolved by Rider Haggard, after
exhaustive inquiries into the working Of
the Salvation Army colonies in the United
States and Hadleigh, has just been made
public in detail
The inquiry was suggested by the Rhodes
trustees, who made a grant of $500 for
that purpose, and Rider Haggard was ap-
pointed commissioner by the colonial secre-
tary on January 81
He sailed for the United States on Feb
ruary p and visited the Salvation Army
land colonies at Fort Ramie in California,
Fort Amity in Colorado and Fort Herrick
in Ohio
He had interviews with President Roose-
welt, whom he incidentally describes as the
''clearest visioned and most able statesman
that ever had the honor of meeting" and
Mr.. Wilson, the secretary of agriculture.
Mr.. Haggard then went to Canada as the
guest of Earl Grey and discussed the sub
ject with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Hon. Clifford
Sifton, the former minister of the interior,
the leader of the opposition. the finance
minister, the superintendent of immigration
and other experts upon immigration and
land settlement.
The result of Mr.. Haggard's negotiations
pared at any time to give ten townships
(240OO0 acres) for the scheme on the sole
consideration that the conditions of settle
ment prescribed by the laws Of Canada are
complied with.
As regards the scheme itself the first step
must be the guarantee by the imperial
government and the governments OF the
colonies which are willing to cooperate, of
the interest on loan to finance the settle
ments.
The imperial government should appoint
permanent superintendent of land settle
ment, in whom the capital should be in
vested and who should administer the
funds.
Plan Proposed by HaEgard.
The work of selection, distribution and
organization should be entrusted to the
Salvation Army or some other approved
body, and the colonists should remain in
| charge of this body until all liabilities are
paid I,
No colonist should receive title to land
until he has paid OF his liabilities with in
| terest.
| Mr.. Haggard proposes that each settle
ment should consist OF not less than 100
| families, since It is important that persons
! brought from the cities should have neigh
| bors and associates.
| He also proposes that cooperative stores
shall be established for the sale and pur-
chase of produce and necessaries, and that
peoples credit banks should be set up on
the Raffcisen principle.
| The three conditions which Mr. Haggard
insists upon as absolutely essential arc:
Sufficient capital at moderate interest
| Careful selection OF settlers and land.
| Skilled and sympathetic management OF
both after settlement.
| Mr.. Haggard estimates that the cost Of
settling a family Of fve persons on Cana
dian farms OF 100 acres exclusive OF the
land would be 1900 .divided as follow J:
$3.50 for cottages and barns, $50 for live
stock, 500 for implements and fencing SlOO
for five months food, 800 for seed and fod-
der and $500 for transport
| This 1000 he suggests would be paid of,
including per cent interest and per cent
sinking fund. by thirty-six and half
annual installments of SEQ.
Salvation Army Colony.
An idea Of the prospects Of such settle
ments can be CLEANED from the Fort Ramie
! colony. The Salvation Army paid $62 500 for
the land and lost $1,000 on a first abortlve
settlement. Against this $50 500, the value
Of the land improvements, stock, ETC.. is
now appraised at nearly Sll5,OOO Most OF
1 this increment goes to the settlers.
So great is the interest aroused in the
scheme here in England that the London
Times makes the subject the occasion for
an editorial leader. In part, the Times says:
Mr.. Rider Haggard has completed with
commendable dispatch a work OF great in
terest TO all who have at heart the national
welfare: A few months ago he was in
structed by the colonial secretary to visit
the United States as commissioner 10 re.
port upon the agricultural and industrial
settlement established there by the Saliva
tion Army. These settlements are expert
mental attempts 10 move from the great
cities of America people who would be bet
! ter occupied In cultivating the land, and "a
form agricultural communities Mr. Lvt-
ueton thought that IL these efforts rad
proved successful, some analogous systerSl
might be applied and some part OF the urba n
population might be transferred to different
lands within the British empire. on the
whole, Mr.. Rider Haggard brings back a
distinctly favorable account of the experi.
ments in America. He records some fail.
ures or miscalculations; he records still
more impressive successes; and he presents
the outlines OF scheme, framed with The
lessons OF the American agricultural colo,
with men OF practical experiences for colo.
ntZatiOn on a large scale. With the object
which he had In view there viii be genera
! sympathy. The drift TO the town; the sew.
erance from the land OF people who become
degraded physically and otherwise In great
cities; the sight Of vast tracts Of land Ter.
tile in the extreme lying uncultivated wbii,
! thousands annually move helplesslv anf
i DNnoly towards the cities there TO 11i,
with a population OF wallis and driftwood
the tendency 70 race ruin. a product of o,ii
western culture" due greatly to living ir
| crowded quarters OF our great citiesoai
that is so grave an evil that any aiIevia
tion Of IL Is to be prized.
Problem IL Not simple
We doubt whether the problem every
| where presented Is so simple as Mr. Ride
} HaggaTd conceives it, Il believe" he re-
marks, that in a majority Of cases Vii
| lage folk go 10 cities and in MANY IN
stances remain in them, because they caI
; hnd no opportunity or prospect upon th,
/ land and. subsequently,, because thew bav'
not the means 10 escape with their wiye.
and children from the web Of town life n
which they have entagled themselves
There are, Il must be noted others
whether "a majority or a minority NAV h.
a question, but undoubtedly many-to who,
the excitement Of town life is alluring. An,
10 whom dwelling in a village or aqri
cultural community Is intolerably tedi9us
But II a considerable number OF those n
. whom Mr.. Rider Haggard speaks can h
I drawn 10 the country the gain would b
: immense
. The Salvation Army has established thre
=.