Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
HOMES FOR THE POOR
Plan to Relieve the Congestion
of London.
COLONIES IN THE COUNTRY
Gift to General Booth of the Saliva
ton Army.
TO LAY OUT MANY SMALL FARMS
Benefits to England From the Scheme
-Illiteracy of the World-Facts
About the Tariff Law.
BIZ WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BIZ WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
George Herring. well-known nsAIion-
aire philanthropist of London, has placed
the sum Of 100000 at the service of Gen
Booth Of the Salvation Army for home col
onization. Gen. Booth has been agftating
the emigration plan to relieve the conges-
ton among the submerged millions of
London. He has been pleading for money
to send worthy families to Australia, Cam
ada and the United States and set them
up on farms, and has already accomplished
good deal In that way. No part of the
rescue work of the Salvation Army has
been more effective or has accomplished
more permanent, practical good. and 1t
has had the approval Of King Edward
queen Alexandra and other influential per-
sonages who take great interest in the Sal,
walton Army. Did 1t ever occur to you that
Gen. Booth has made most extraordinary
advances In the confidence and respect Of
the people of the world? Not many years
ago his people were arrested on the streets
Tor disturbing the peace, and even now the
Archblshop OF Canterbury and other mem
bers or the hierarchy of the Church of
England frown upon his unorthodox meth
DDS for converting sinners and comforting
the poor and a.ufcted But the public at
the world, recognize in the Salvation Army
an agency for usefulness unequaled by any
other charitable organization and they back
their confidence by large gifts The dis
bursements of Gen. Booth and his off,
GERS run up into the millions annually
The King OF England is one of the largest
Contributors and shows him sympathy and
approval both by his contributions and by
sending frequent words of encouragement
to headquarters. Gen. Booth Is permitted
not only to write freely to the king on any
subject, but always gets a prompt answer.
Mr.. Herring's Plan.
George Herring. who is a practical man,
believes In keeping Englishmen at home
He Is convinced that a large class OF the
city population viii not leave England and
should not be sent away. but can be dis
tributed In various parts of the country
where they can take care of themselves
and become proprietors Of land coitribut-
ing to the wealth of the nation and enjoy
ing the benefits of honest labor air and
sunshine. England needs food-products
more than anything else, She is DEPEND
ent upon foreign nations for bread and
meat. and Mr.. Herring argues that the
best and wisest solution of the great prob
lem Of taking care of the unemployed is to
scatter them throughout the agricultural
sections Of the united kingdom and set
them to filling the ground. These con-
illusions were reached by him after an in
vestfgatton of the causes Of the recent DEM
onstration of the unemployed classes In
London. and he called upon Gen. Booth
with an offer to finance home -emigra-
ton scheme If the Salvation Army would
undertake the details.
Gen. Booth accepted the responsibility
and is now organizing a special corps to
select worthy temperate and Industrious
families in London and to remove them
from the city to the country Each fam
fly will be given five acres of suitable
land. a cottage with furniture, implements,
stock chickens and other means of making
a living, and will be provided with suffi-
cient money to maintain them until they
can become self-supporting. The cost of
the property and the removal and all
money advanced, will be charged to the
settler and secured by a per cent mort
gage upon his place, payable In ten an
nual installments, after the second crop
has been gathered. Agents of the Saliva
ton Army are now inspecting locations in
different parts of England, Scotland and
Wales, and 1t Is hoped and expected that
the owners of some Of the great estates
will encourage the movement by gifts of
land.
Benefits to the Community.
One of the officers of the Salvation Army
who is engaged in the work. writes me that
the scheme will benefit the community in
several different ways. He says: Il. 1t
will supply an object lesson, which, IL sue
cessfuI, will prevent the exodus of young
lagos to the cities: and draw back to the
land from the cities many of those who
have been brought UP in the country and
have instructive liking for 1t. While
many of this class are unwilling, for rea-
sons of pride, and perhaps other mo-
tives to return to their own homes they
will not hesitate to join public move
ment.
az 1t will contribute something, at
least, to the food supply of the united
kingdom and in slight measure make 1t
less dependent upon foreign countries
80. It will inspire young married people
with desire to obtain homes of their
own and enable them to realize 1t: 1t will
correct a restIessness which Is growing
more and more apparent. and dissatis-
faction with life, which Is one Of the most
prevalent causes of crime and vice.
"a. 1t will promote the health of the
people. It will save the lives Of thousands
of children who die like insects in the pes
tilential slums and crowded tenement
houses, and Furthermore, 1t will serve to
Increase the numbers and the strength OF
the yeomanry which are the backbone of
the nation"