The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-12
THE SOULO OF HENRY GEORGE
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX

The body of Henry George lies
moulering in the grave, but his Soul
goes marching on.
II ever for a moment one Of his fol-
lowers has believed the cause of TINS
great Industrial saviour OF the world
was lost cause he needs but To visit
England to have his faith in its uiti-
mate triumph restored.
A few years ago Joseph Fels
benevolent American millionaire, Of
fered to give s26, 900 a year to put the
single tax into effect somewhere in
the United States, IL all the other sin
gle takers would combine and contri-
butte a similar sum.
A devout believer in the single tax
as the most perfect solution of the in
dustrial problems Of the world, the
writer of this article had not the least
conception of what was being done
in the way OF a practical demonstra-
ton of its efficacy to relieve poverty
and misery until recent visit TO eng
land CHANGED to give the Illustration.
Mr.. Fels spends six months OF each
year in Europe and six months III
America All of his time, wherever
he goes Ia given to the progagating
of his great religion. the single tax
Here is how he puts il into active
practice.
He approaches men aud corpora :
tons owning large tracts of idle iahd
and persuades them to give him the
use of several acres free OF rent.
Each acre is divided into eight parts,
and each poor man who is Wiling 10
give small holdings n trial is permitted
to use a garden plot
A society was formed by Mr. Fels in
London in 1908.
II obtains the loan Of land from
owners and let's II In plots, rent Tree
to needy working men ara woman
The total area now controlled ny
this society is sixty five acres.
Upon this $40 men and woman nave
plots In cultivation
u Including the families $500 persons
are thus deriving benefit
Additional applicants number S3V'
To provide for these, forty acres
more land are needed.
Within the metropolitan area there
are thousands Of acres of unused lana.
Most OF that loaned 10 the society
was previously lying waste for years
The gross retail value Of the pro-
duce raised by the men already eS-
eeeds SIS, 900
For every S. spent by the society the
plot holders have had S25 worth OF
useful vegetables.
Improved health of the men and their
families has been marked IN many
cases ..-
The value of self help. self-relance
! patience and perseverance has peeh
demonstrated.
Plot holders have also learned now
great a reward well-directed indus
frg can extract frein the land
Few voluntarily give up their pio''
when once established.
i Taking a summary of the returns
| from all the plots, 10 per cent or the
men who had them for more than q
| year have secured satisfactory crops
but the average varies greatly In di1
| ferent districts, 1t would be inVfuious
| TO mention particular places. out HI
! three cases where the SOIL the cehdi'
| ton. were bv far the worst the aver
| age i, much higher than on the more
| favored sites. rising in dozen ~
[ stances ~ so per cent of a probable
maximum. This proves how much de-
! ponds upcn individual INDUSTRY ane
| resolution and it would be hard te
| find A better test OF character than
/ this work
/ The total value OF the produce RAISED
I BY the men in three years taken at q
! moderate average. exceeds S25,ooo, TINS
/ including that used and sold AT tht
prevailing retail prices of each district
/ name,. the prices the plot holders
would have to pay to shopkeepers oil
/ hawkers,
The total sum expended by this So
| ciety in the corresponding period K
effect these results - less than the
| men would have had TO pay collective
" az rent for allotmente in the Lon
don area at the customary rates.
When IL is remembered that ths
whole of the land thus employed hae
previously been practically waste-ir
some cases for many years-the advah
tages are obvious. The men and thei
families have profited substantially
and help has been rendered withou
pauperizing the recipients. The mel
! have learned the full value Of indus
try rightly applied TO the utilization
! of the resources of the SOIL
One pleasant feature OF this wori
is the keen appreciation of the womei
folk. and the benefits which the chill
dren derive from plentiful supplies o
fresh vegetables. Many OF the moth
ers say that the children are far NOR
eager for such food as the product o
their fathers plots and labor thar
they were when II had to be bought |,
barrows in the streets, The healti
advantages TO the young is great ai'
indisputable, and several instances
have come under our notice where
notable improvement has been eviden
since the fathers have held these plot
OF land.
I One wife says that in the whole o
her married life no more fortunate
occurrence had happened than whe'
we were able to grant her HUSBAND
apiece OF garden She said: 1T ha
made more difference in our home thai
I can describe" and It certainly seem
| ed to be a case in which silence wa
more eloquent than words.
writer in the Westminster Ga
xette saws, after visiting some OF tn
plots: Three or four months ago rub
bish, the accumulation OF a ouarte- O
a century. covered the land. ard
took Ave weeks hard work on the par
OF the man and his, family to get III