New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-10-14
FAIR CHANCE FOR ALL.

I'VE have worked it all out" he replied. 80
that any man who shows a desire TO leave the
ghetto and take up the life of a farmer can
begin with fair chance for making success
of it. Our scheme is founded on business prin-
ciples. and effort is made TO force man to
leave the city. The desire must find expression
in request before we will aid him in this d.
rection. Our desire is to develop successful
colonies which will serve examples and CEN
tres which will be congenial. Every successful
farmer is an additional argument for leaving
the city and every successful Jewish
munity is a discourse that subject. Assured
OF the right surroundings, the path is made easy
LOT the Sweatshop worker TO leave the old con-
ditions and enter the new.
We do not buy him farm and start him
off without knowing whether he will be a sue
cess or not. We test him for year. A couple
Of years ago the Jewish Agricultural and Indus
trial Aid Society Of this city bought the Indian
tanning five hundred acres of land, spending
something over $4,000 for IT, When a man
asks for an opportunity to become a farmer
send him out TO this test farm we call it. He
must spend a year there, learning the various
operations of farming under modern conditions.
He is permitted 10 take his entire farmily with
him. and half a double farmhouse containing
hVe or six rooms, is assigned to him For this
he pays rental of 81 week. He has the free
use OF piece OF land for garden, in which he
can raise vegetables. Some of those who have
been there have had cows also. We encourage
him TO make use Of facilities in this way.
for II aids him in securing knowledge and en-
courages him 20 continue the occupation. The
man and any children beyond school age work
on the farm under the supervision of skilled
man, the superintendent For this work he
receives dollar day, so he starts with a bet
ter income than the average immigrant secures
IN the ghetto II he sticks to the work for
year and shows promise Of being successful
farmer we buy a farm for him valued at 81 200
or $1,000 in a Jewish colony and lend him $500
in addition for the purpose OF purchasing i'm
plements and stock and establishing himself
He pays for the farm and returns the loan, with
interest, in moderate instruments. Not ell of
those who go out TO the test farm prove them
selves good material Some stay only long
enough TO learn how a hoe handle feels in their
unaccustomed hands and turn their faces back
TO the crowded city. One day is long enough to
satisfy some Of the would-be farmers. Others
stay as long as three months and then quit.
'One man took his family out and spent an
entire year Three of his children two boys and
a girl, the former twenty and seventeen years
old, respectively, and the latter about eighteen.
were employed on the farm besides himself. To-
gether they received S14 week. At the end of
the year he wanted to buy a 50-acre farm, val
ued at 5000. 1t was thought that that would
be too much of a burden for him, and that he
could not work so much land to advantage. 1t
was suggested that he take twenty-five acres TO
start with. He declined to accept anything less
than his demand and returned TO the city with
his wife and family Of several children, leaving
behind the oldest son, who refused to accompany
Ia making about 81 a week. His daughter and
the seventeen-year-old son went into the sweat
shops again. His wife was taken sick and had
to have operation performed. The daughter
is now at home taking care Of her and the fam
lily. The boy was run over In the street and is
in the hospital The income of the family, IN
stead of being S14 week. with a rent OF only 81
a month IS the amount that the head of
the family make with his pushcart. The
rent is at least twice as much as he paid IN the