The Denver Jewish news., 1920-10-20
Krauskopf Urge. Cali
fornia Farm Colonies
TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL sue
GOTH HARVEST PILGRIMAGE,
PARTICIPATED IN BY GREAT
ASSENlBI.AGE.

.h3SENAltIlAtiE,
Philadelphia, Pa.-Establishment of
agricultural colonies in California as
n means of Offsetting the threatening
food shortage and relieving congestion
In the cities, was advocated by the
Rev. DIR. Joseph Krauskopf, president
and founder of the National Farm
School, at the twenty-third Annual
Suecoth Pilgrimage to the school, near
I)oylestOwn, Pa, last week.
Prominent visitors not only from
Philadelphia, but from many other
parts of the country were among the
crowds which flOcked to this institu-
iion, famed for training young men
TO follow agricultural pursuits. The
speakers iacluded Governor Sproul.
Louis Marshall. Fred Rasmussen, sec
retary of agriculture for Pennsylvania.
the Rev. DIR. Simon X. Cohen, of
Brooklyn, n. V, and Bernard Ostro-
1enk, director of the National Farm
School.
Mr.. Marshall who is president Of
the New York State College of For
estry and the Jewish Theological Sem
inary of America. declared that one
of the greatest crimes committed in
history was when the Jews were COM
PEELED to live in restricted areas and
not permitted to own agricultural
land.
He declared that the Jews are fun
damentally an agricultural people, as
is proved in the Bible. Persecution.
lie said, had caused and compelled
them to fOrsake that occupation. which
he prophesied they now are on the
point of resuming.
After outlining the situation, Doctor
Erauskcpf also suggested the remedy
In advocating agricultural colonies for
California. he suggested that they
should he populated and worked most
ly by the people now living in the
ghetto and slum districts OF cities.
who would be glad TO ger ont in the
open.
THE National Farm School Inns
demonstrated that the young and the
strong aad the healthy can be- made
to exchange the city for the country
and remain there cOntentetily. From
the first our schools aim has been not
only to make farmers. hut also to
make Of some of them heads Of farm
ing colonies"
Admitting that many colonization
projects had failed And that there
were many critics Of the plan. DIR.
due to the lack of two essentials.
funds and business skill. He deplore,i
the fnct that not one body of Jews
in this country has ever undertaken
such project.
Opportunities in California
'.Why should we speak Of excluding
desirable immigrants from war-cursed
European countries when we have Cal
ifornia to house them. to employ them
and to make them amply self-suppOrt-
ingF Great as Is the worlds demand
for the agricultural products of Cali
fornia and rich as Is the return from
agricultural labor in that state. few
have availed themselves of the mag
nificent agricultural opportunities il
affords. BY fur the largest part of
its vast area is unOccupied.
why should there be hut 3OO0.-
900 people on the richest. fairest.
healthiest 10000 square miles In the
world. that could feed in abundance
n population of more than n score of
times its present number?
why may not the National Farm
School enter In the Golden West up
on the second stage of the career out
lined for 1t when 1t first was launch
ed?
why may not California. with the
aid of graduates of the National Farm
school. help to solve our hunger prob
lem. our congestion problem. our I'M
migration problem. our charity prob
lem and number of other problems!'