The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-21

A national experiment in produce
ton, to rescue the human race from
poverty, without jeopardizing the sta
bility of civilization by wholesale
change in an untried field! What
think you of such a proposal, good
reader of all the latest news and scan
dal. who has been taught to believe
that poverty must be ever in our
midst?
This was the daring departure from
accustomed social philosophy and the
experiment which was proposed by
Rev. E. j. Craft, last night, to an au-
dience in the Uniyersalist Parish
house, Fairfield avenue.
1t was an interested audience, con-
tanning not a few thoughtful and stu
dious men, who listened tensely while
Rev. Mr. Craft -unfoIded the theory
and practice of his plan for poverty
killing.
spices of the Mems club of the church.
There were not a few visitors, at
tracted by Mr. Crafts reputation as
an orator, by his prestige as a student
of economies, and by the news, which
has been quietly circulated for some
time in literary circles, that his talk
is but an echo of a book, which, eco
nomicaIIy is of a highly revolutionary
character, and which is shortly to
come from the press of one of the old
est and most reputabl publishing
houses in the world. There were BUS
inessmen, bankers, newSpaperrnen ana
politicians present There were Dem
ocrats, Socialists, Republicans, Pro
gressives and Prohibitionists- Pretty
nearly all of them asked some explain
alton or additional informat ton be-
fore the evening was past, and the
time was most profitably spent.
Mr. Crafts address was given under
the title THE New Economics
He began by clearing away some
generally accepted economic fallac1es,
s11ch as the claim that poverty is a
blessing, that thrift is a virtue with
out alloy and that men must always
He established definitions of price
description of his plan-or rather or
his fathers plan-to increase produc-
ton until it is at least a hundred fold
greater than at present.
His immediate aim is to secure from
Congress an appropriation for an exz
detrimental community, which with the
most improved machinery shall enter
into the business of production for con-
sumption only to ascertain what stan
dard of living men can establish for
themselves with access of raw mater
iaI and unha with merchandise
ing for profit
He said that such an experiment,
which has the authority of precedent
in the agricultural experiment stations
maintained by all civilized peoples
would certainly prove that men can
establish standard equal to the pur-
chasing power of 1872 per day per per-
son, or 1884 a day for an average fam
lily
And the experiment might be tried
he decIe red, at less than the cost of
a modern battIeship, without in the
least interfering with the ordinary
course of business in the resi-, of the
world.
But he expected and believed that
the example of such a system, 50 OPP
Grating would soon make it, accorsi-
ing to the doctrine of the survival of
the fittest, the common method of pro-
duction.
In operation Mr.. Crafts plan would
e1nbody the settlement of a number of
men representing various crafts and
ca pa cities upon u piece of land of ade-
quate size. They would have access to
raw material and would be equipped
with modern labor saving machinery.
his community would inquire to the
needs of the community in food,
shoes, clothing and Iuxuries and would
then produce an amount of each COM
modify adequate to meet the several
demands for the commodities referred
to, on the highest possible scale.
Some interesting features of the talk
were concerned with the demolition of
certain economic fallacies referred to
in the beginning of this article.
1t is the custom, for instance, to
treat as part of the wealth of the
country things that are not wealth at
all.
The increased value of farm land,
for instance. is not an increase in