The Democratic advocate., 1909-06-18
sTATE AIp no MoMEN.
TO Secure Land on Which They May
Engage IN Farming.


To solve the problem OF what to do
with the 100000 spiusters and widows
OF Massachusetts who can never hope
to marry owing to the scarcity OF men
In the Bay State,a and who are Obliged
at present to drag out weary exist
ence, three score prominent business
and professional women OF Greater
Boston have formed an organization
for the purpose of winning State aid
in securing small tracts of land near
large cities where women can engage
In profitable agricultural enterprises.
The Women's Massachusetts Home
stead Association plans to encourage
the many thousands OF women OF all
ages who are forced to struggle night
and day to gain a livelihood, to take
up the cultivation OF small plots Of
land in the suburbs and raise flowers
herbs, plants, mushrooms, strawber-
riess vegetables, squads, chickens,
bees and pigs.
To achieve this end the association
wants the Commonwealth to buy
tracts OF land wherever available, d.
vide this land into acre lots and then.
through commission, supply women
particularly spinsters--who would
like to engage In such pursuits with
share OF the land IL the State Is
not willing TO furnish the land free.
then the association asks that II take
a mortgage on land bought by philan-
| thropists, develop this land. build
cheap. comfortable homes. barns and
outhouses on II, and then furnish the
necessary implements for eultivatlng
the soil.
This plan. says the members OF the
Homestead Association, viii take
thosands of women and children out
/ OF the large cities OF Massachusetts
will thin out the congested slnm dis.
I tricts. and will place these women and
those dependent upon them where
( they can be probably employed nu.
/ der sanitary conditions, and instruct.
cd In garden and truck farming.
Man owns the earth and has heay.
/ en- preempted." says one OF the mos,
Z enthusiastic members of the new as.
Z spciation. We ask the right 10 live
We want homes There arc 100 600 oi
Us 10 Massachusetts who cannot gsi
I Them because there are aut husbands
enough 10 SO around We must either
be provided for Or else taken out Ike
woru.oui horses and shot
: Think Of Sc There are 100 00l
women without husbands who have
+ no future under present conditions
\ Besides that. there are thousands 81
/ middle-nRod married women. either
I widowH OF the heads Of families De.
\ pendent upon thom. who are wiiling
I 20 take advantage OF the legislation
I We seek II the opportunity were offer.
cd them =
The Homestead Association has a..
tablIshed literary bureau for the DIS.
/ tributiou uf literature calling atten.
ton 20 the necessity OF women ahar.
/ ing In any legislation which would
tend 10 provide homes The assOcia.
7 tion has also organized "a lecture hu.
reau. and plans 10 have women. well.
i sersed on the condition ot women
I workers in Massachusetts. lecture be.
fore all the womcnB clubs of thf
I State % arouse interest In the canas
I of the organization.
The members of the Massachusetts
association declare that their wort
/ has been greatly aided through ths
statistics aud information gathered by
/ one of the members before the asan,
citation came into existence.
This woman has interested 4
wealthy New York woman 10 tka pro,
iect of providing small tracts of land
for BplnstoTa and widows. aud a Il
announced that she will spend from
5000 900 10 100000 II the cause ap-
+ peals 10 her IN buying land for ptrug.
Cling "old maids" aud mothers of fam.
lilies.
I Options have been secured ON Res.
eral farms. One farm. consisting pi
acres of land. aud located but oighi
miles from Boston. cBn be bought foi
$4,000 There Is also phiianthroplst
living in urooklipe. who offers 10 give
his biz farm for experiment. n ths
State decides to aid widnwe aud spin
etera IN earning living from III,
soil