The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-03
RIDER HAGGARD ON A MISSION
HERE TO STUDY THE SALVATION
ARMY'S FARM COLONIES.

The British Government Sees In the Army's
Methods Some Possibility OF Help
Ing Fngiand's Own Poor Farm La
borers 10 Get New start In life.
II. Rider Haggard, who has created and
populated many fairy lands. Ia here on n
mission which has for its object the popu-
lation Of real lands with real people. He
has been asked by the British Colonial
Office to visit the Salvation Army settle
ments in this country and make an exhaus-
tive report thereon. From Mr.. Haggard's
reports and recommendations and such
other advices and Trustworthy informa-
ton as may be obtained from other sources
the English Government authorities having
the problem In handare hoping some method
Of relieving the oyercrovded cities may be
reached
Mr Haggard arrived yesterday on the
Teutonic. He was met at the pier by Col.
Higgins of the Salvation Army and Cot.
Haggard. brother Of the novelist, who is
keen snortsInan and has been UP in Maine
for several months Mr.. Haggard IL ac-
compauied by his daughter. He IL tau,
long armed, rather raw boned man, with
dark brown beard and shrewd face, con-
veying the impression 81 much energy OF the
restless. impulsiye sort. Give him Yam
kee twang and he'd pass for a prosperous
Western farmer
His last book. Rural England which he
describes as FAN enormously big book OF
l. 200 pages" Is devoted to agricultural
conditions in England, and thus to some e1-
tent relates to the topic he is here to study
He starts on his tour of invest CATION to-
morrow and will visit the Salvation Army
settlements at Fort Romme California;
Fort Amty, Colorado. and Herrick, Ohio.
He will also go to Philadelphia and look
into the cultivation Of the vacant lots in the
outskirts OF that city Then he will go TO
Washington
Owing to the agricultural depression in
England, which began in 1879 and has grown
more acute from year TO year said MIR.
Haegard last evening, -there has been IA
great migration from the rural districts
to the cities Farming people leave the
country because their condition there IL
wellnigh hopeless. The farm laborer gets
10 shiings, or 81. ~ week, That ia the best
he can do. That represents the climax
of his prosperity in his most productive
years He cannot hope TO advance. He
cannot hope to become farmer, much less |
a land owner. SO he goes 10 the city, think |
ing TO better himself.
III. L
he merely adds another unit 10 the sumtotal |
of city poverty and unhapplness. The |
citiea are swarining with unfortuuates Of |
this type and with unfortunates recruited !
from other groups for whom the country |
has nothing 10 give.
-Now. there il plenty of unoccupied land |
in the world land wherein many thousands |
of people could they but be helped little !
at the start, would work out for themselves /
and for those dependent upon them lives /
Al .irff Ia ftrt Il
shine for themselves and benefit to the /
world from their industry That, in a |
general way. states the situation. 1t ia
a question TO which ! have given SONS
thought and some short range study. am
a land owner myself and practical farmer
as we'll So | have been brought in close
contact with the question. | arm very great
" Interested in it. l would be glad 10 do
to help in solving it. II could.
! would like to do something along those
lines for my generation.
We'll the Government was kind enough |
to invite me 70 make this study of the sal |
walton Army settlements M America and |
arm glad of the opportunity. The work |
done by the Salvation Army is Of immense
value. | speak of oourse Of its general |
work and not Of its farm settlement work. |
for about that as yet, | know nothing
That X what am here TO try and inform
myself about There is one Salvation Army
settlement in England. in Essex. to be sure,
Hnu am lOll IL u hOlAR HpOI WIN All
told, also, that the settlements here ara
doing good work shall know moro spe-
cifcally about that when my labors here
are over.
$50 far as | know there Is no religious
test necessary to admission to the Saliva
ton Army farm settlements. All that is re-
quired is decent living. They help the
poor from the cities TO get to tho farms
help them to start their farm work and
put them in a way TO pay back what has
been advanced to them and ultimately |
to become the owners Of the land they |
till The trouble with the stranded ones |
in the cities is that they cannot get |
out, and even If they could get out they /
need support and help until they get a |
start. They are weak, arDmic and half |
i'll from tho results OF their priyations and /
squalid suflocating lives. They need help |
at the start. and with that help the worthy !
can in the end attain comfortable lives and |
some deRfee Of prosperity
The question in England is very acute.
What plans for its solution the Govern
ment may have ] cannot say. 1t Is beyond
my province to discuss that branch OF the
subject ] shall make my report Of facts
and deductions, and there my mission,
10 far as this visit TO America Is concerned,
comes to an end