The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-06-23
NEW YORK PLANS STATE FARM
COLONY FOR THE HOBO
The Experiment May BE
Widely Copied by
Other States

Of the institution. IL he gets the work
habit strongly enough to want to con-
tinue 1t he will be released as soon AZ
he gains fair knowledge OF farm
work and thereafter will find no diff
Guilty In maintaining himself, for there
IL always q shortage OF farm labor In
New York. IL he L. an incorrigible
one, experience Of the farm colony will
be enough, and as soon as he Is re-
leased he will make a bee line for the
state border and will shun the Empire
State forevermore. In any case It In
the opinion of those who are urging
the plan that the public will be re-
lieved Of a large share Of the expense
Of maintaining him, which, according
to the estimate of the state board Of
charities, amounts to over S2OOO,OOO
a year In the expenses Of jails and
penitentiaries alone.
Plan Successful Abroad.
This plan IL a brand new one In the
United States, but IL has been employ
ed for years In European countries and
Is said to have been highly successful
there. The largest Of these European
colonies is located at Merxplas, Bel
GUM, and has 5000 inmates. Germa-
ny has thirty-four of these colonies In
different parts OF the empire. Switzer-
land, which Is the only country In the
world that has solved the tramp prob
lem, has done 1t largely through the
farm colony which is located at Witt
will, In the canton of Berne. This
Swiss tramp farm consists OF 1000
acres Good gravel roads traverse Its
fields. No fences. walls or signs tell
the visitor when he has entered the
prison grounds. Here and there are
substantial farmhouses, each with
large. plain, practical barn. A paid
farmer lives with his family and four
working prisoners at each Of these out
posts, where about thirty cows are
kept. In the center Of the farm Is
a group Of buildings, including the d.
rector's house, a cell house and large
barns and workshops.
This farming enterprise, In which
most Of the work is done by prisoners,
has turned out to be good business
investment for the canton. There has
been expended upon 1t $35O,0O0, and Its
present valuation Is $55O,OOG. an aver
age gain for the time the institution
has been in operation Of over $4,000
q year.
80 Other States May Copy.
Five-sixths both Of the gross and the
net industrial receipts of the farm are
from agriculture. Yearly there are
sold $4,000 worth Of cattle and hogs,
$4,000 worth Of milk and $4,000
worth of other agricultural products,
and through the winter 400 hogs and
800 cattle are kept.
The charitable organizations Of New
York. the mayors, chiefs Of police and
city judges of its various cities are all
in favor Of the adoption Of the farm
colony idea. 1t Is believed that 1t will
greatly decrease the number of tramps
in the state, teach some Of them to
become Industrious and self support
ing workers, save the millions Of dol
lars now paid out by the people OF the
state for their maintenance and do
| away with the social danger that ex-
lists In the presence OF these undesir-
ables In the unpoliced rural sections of
the state. The experiment Is one that
| will be watched with interest. II sue
cessful 1t Is likely to be widely copied
by other states.
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