The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-09
''Their Interests Are Identi-
CAL" Says Secretary Kelley.
ENTHUSIASM OVER GARDENING
State Fair VIII Encourage
Back Lot Agriculture.
Various Items of Interest i'm
Real Estate Circles.


nee county outside of Topeka and the
| citizens of this city in a work that
will be equally beneficial to both the
city and the rural districts. and that
is the building of good roads and the
inducing of a desirable class of peo-
pie TO settle on the land, and to fol-
low industrial pursuits in Topeka.
With this end in view the Topeka
Commercial club has reduced the dues
of the organization to those residing
outside of the city to Sc, and WI. in
the next few months it is expected
the soil will find it advantageous to
Join the commercial body.
Their Interest Identical.
The work of the Comm ercia1
club is not only to develop the city
but the agricultural interests around
Will Kelley today, land the farmer
has a reciprocal interest in lettering
Topeka. What helps the county will
help the city and what helps the city
Will help the county.
we expect to get a good, live ag
ricultural committee that will call at
tention to Shawnee county as a truck
gardening, poultry producing and
dairy farming community. Then in
this connection the immigration COM
mittee can do much to interest a de-
sirable class of citizens to come to this
county. One member of this COM
L
ready done a good deal in an individ-
ual way in interesting a desirable
class of Englishmen to come here.
''H. W. McAfee. I. d. Graham and
A. T. Daniels have expressed their
Willingness to take an active part on
committee which will endeayor to in
terest the farmers in the Commercial
club.
''As to good road work, no money
will be donated by our club until af-
ter a competent engineer has made
plans of work. and the engineer ac-
cepts the work as having been done
according to specifications.
PERSONALLY L think we ought to
give assistance to farmers who will
cooperate with US in making good
roads, and it seems to me that the
be to loan the necessary tools which
would include road drags."
I. D. Graham has been asked by
Secretary Kelley to prepare an article
an excellent place for man to make
a good living by truck gardening, or
the production of various crops.
Want More People.
Tom Powell, who as Secretary KEEL
ley states, will be a member of the
immigration committee Of the Com
mercial club, is now in correspond
ence with persons who expect to come
to Topeka or vicinity. On kansas
day. he sent to some of his friends
Development association. AS result
he heard from two young men who
are interested in truck gardening and
who wished to hear more of this
''land of plenty
Mr.. Powell is in receipt of letter
from Tom Burren, an Englfshman,
who is a painter by trade, and who
was induced to come to Topeka some
ed that e-Burrell-is bringing a
friend with him. Burren went home
for a vacation. The letter reads in
part: 1--WE start back on the Megan-
tic on March 5. and should be in To-
peka by March II Harry Mound
son is coming back with me-
The immigration committee of the
Commercial club in the past two years
of interesting at least several English
men to come to Topeka.
Realty Men Will Assist.
The Topeka Real Estate Dealers as |
sociation will also assist in the work |
of bringing immigrants to Topeka and
vicinity. The members of the associa-
ton are of the opinion that the III |
terest in agricultural lines should not |
only be stimulated in the outlying dis
tricts but also in Topeka-that Topeka
should be made the city beautiful
in every sense of the word.
1.-THE growth of the county, said !
George Clearinghouse, a member of the |
association, who has made a careful |
study of vacant lot gardening, means |
extended boundaries for the city of |
Topeka, and a farming thrift of this |
nature cannot exist in Shawnee coun- |
tv without affecting directly the high |
cost of living and affording a livelihood |
for double the number of families now |
in the county.
consequently a greater and a more
beautiful Topeka must of necessity |
follow as a city cannot prosper in the
t1xr
paws to educate our people so that they |
viii realize the value of transforming /
lots overrun with weeds to fair garden
spots.
Gardening Vacant Lots.
This questioning of gardening tbs |
vacant lots we believe is long step |
towards solving the problem of the high |
cost of living. The reason for which Is
that there are not enough people in the
producing business and far too great |
a proportion doing nothing but consum-
ing and living off of the other fellow
until we are paying $3.50 per bushel
for potatoes, $40 per ton for hay, IS
cents per bushel for corn; 50 to 80
tents per pound for butter and the sans
Der dozen for eggs.
Many of us have boys and girls
whom we would be glad to put to some
hem to learn the solemn fact that
dollars are secured by hard effort
There are also a large number of grown
10 fellows who have never titled the ,
oil. Now if we can educate these
,eople, what the soil will do for them
n the vacant lot next to their homes,
We have some possibility of interesting
hem in a larger way and get more
Who should be there, back to the soil:' |
nut how can we expect people to go
ack to the soil when they have never '
Ieen there, nor even have any idea of I
he power of the soil when combined
With their own efforts? When this
roposition is put into practice it will I