Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-09-29
women C0L0N|zE
ON IOWA FARMS
Back-to-Nature Movement Is
Launched in East Already
Assured of Success
500 TO 60 FROM The CITIES


500 TO GO FROM The CITIES
No Men Considered in the Scheme
Women to Come From Factories,
Offices and Stores-Nation-Wi In
Its Scope.
New York-Men will not 60 back
to the land, so it is up to women to
reduce the high cost of living by
raising foodstuffs. This is the con-
viction of Mrs. K. T. Woolsey, who
already has inaugurated a back-to-
the-farm movement for women. Iowa
is cooperating with her. The plan is
to organize farm colony of 500
women gathered from the cities.
No men will be considered in the
scheme. The women will be given
opportunity to support themselves,
while they are acquiring sufficient
funds to pay for the farms allotted
them. The farms will average five
acres.
While the exact location in Iowa
towns in the center of fine agricul-
has not yet been selected, several
tural sections have offered co-opera-
ton and the best will be chosen.
There are no matrimonial strings
to the project. 1t is not "hobby"
Of some wealthy philanthropist, nor
is it press agent" stunt to boost
any religion. The proposition is one
of sound business, devised not only
to help the women, but to combat
high prices. No age limit has been
set. Any women between the ages
Of IS, IS or go will be acceptable
and should be able to do truck gar
dening or raise fruits and flowers,
according to Mrs. Woolsey.
Her idea is to get women out of
the shops, factories, Offices and
stores. So many are borne down by
the crowded, sitting city and unable
to earn a decent living that they will
welcome the back-to-the-l land move
ment and make ten times more prog
ress than behind the counter or run
ming some factory machine. Thus a
social problem will be solved. and if
carried out on a more extensive scale
might greatly lessen the social evil.
No gifts of land will be accepted.
Mrs. Woolsey and her hackers be-
lieve harm will result in donation of
anything. 1t would spoil the spirit
of the enterprise, the chief object of
which is to make the women feel
that they are independent, capable of
making good living and not de-
pendent on charity or gifts.
Much land has been offered free,
but it would be a bad way to begin,
so the offer will be turned down.
Each colonizer will pay for her tract,
but will be given plenty of time.
Realization that she is buying land
of her own by her own efforts will
60 a great ways toward building up
new life, points out Mrs. Woolsey.
Mrs. Woolsey has been conducting
an investigation in New York and
other large cities to learn whether
the demand for the project is strong
enough among women and she has
found them willing and enthusiastic
especially the younger element.
Even professional and business wom-
en- have applied for farms.
That farm of five acres in good
Iowa agricultural land is plenty is
demonstrated by practice of the JAP
anese. They make one acre do the
work of three in America. On Long
Island truck farmers make fortunes
out of small tracts and there is one
woman on the island, says Mrs.
Woolsey, who has lot only rs by so
feet, but she raises enough vegeta-
bles in a season to support herself
and two little boys and has $3.50
profit in the bank in the fall. The
Germans are also cited as successful
intensive farmers and the Iowa col
ony will adopt such methods.
Regarding the project Mrs. Wool
sey enthusiastically says: 81 mean
this as a nationwide movement. l
have figured on the commonest COM
plaint-loneliness- women on
the farms. My plan is to have a
community center, clubhouse, with
the homes within a readable radius.
women going into this plan build
up happiness and wealth for them
selves, to say nothing of health, and
they may save the country by keep
ing the bread basket filled for all. I
thoroughly believe that women should
be in complete control of the idea
and work it out for themselves.
Votes are not the greatest need of
women.
"An immigration department will
be a feature A Russian woman, who
desires to cooperate with us, has
rruo1 ,,ron mo fha nncSihilifiac in