The Omaha guide., 1934-11-10

Subsistence Homesteads Of the socis
and economic problems peculiar t
Negro groups r following thre'
main lines: homestead gardens Il
areas contiguous 70 industrial cities
part time farming groups; and a di
tinctly agricultural project" it wa
stated today by Charles z. Pynehon
general manager Of the Federal Sui
sistence Homesteads Corporation
"The economic problems Of thu
country's Negro population have besr
particularly difficult Of solution b
Cause Of the population belongs to tbs
lower wage group. AS const
quenss large numbers have beer
thrown on relief during the past few
years
"The problem Of the Negro has
been intensified in the North, due to
the great migration Of Negroes to
Northern cities during the past 20
years. In the South, too, the popu
lation movement has been cityward,
To meet this situation, small home
steads of tho garden type r being
planned for areas both in the North
and South, neal industrial centers,
where tho homesteaders may draw an
income from working in the cities fac
tories and at the same time obtain a
major portion Of their foodstuffs from
the land. In the project just announc
ed for Alabama, Unit 3 will be of this
type.
"The part time farming projects,
in general, will also be located in the
region Of industrial centers and will
be based ON u similar scheme of part
time wage work and part time farm
ing. IN their case, however, home
steads will be somewhat larger and,
OF necessity farther from the cities.
"The third type Of project is pure
ly agricultural. 1t will have in some
Instances the purpose Of substituting
small scale ownership for the tenant
system prevalent in the South las in
Unit 2 of the project just announced).
In other cases the aim will be to dem
onstrate how rural standards of liv
ing may be raised and farming me
thods increased in efficiency Gas in
Unit l near Tuskegee.)
"At the present time a strong de
mand exists for a return to the soil.
Such a movement, however, can be
but temporary II ruraij life itself
is not reconstructed The rural type
projects aret designed to furnish ex
amples of how a better livelihood can
be made on the land than in longest
ed urban areas where there is not
enough employment to go around.
"In allcases the objects of the Sub
.sistence Homestead projects will be
to raise the standard of living of the
homesteaders affected. Housing con
ditions among the Negro population,
both in the city and in the country,
are radiionally low. The Subsistence
plan is to build modest
houses on selected and fertile plots Of
land. The homes must be simple
and small, in order that they may be
the means of the prospective
homesteaders, but at the same time
hey will mark a long step forward
comfort and sanitation from the
homesteaders' former habitation."
The Alabama project is but the
start Of a program to provide sub
iistence homesteads projects for Ne
gro homesteaders. In addition to the
Alabama project, an ALLEGATION has
been approved for a Negro unit at
Dayton, Ohio, and a development for
workers in Arkansas. A
large project is contemplated for the
Islands.
In addition to these projects, for
which ALLEGATIONS have been made, no
.ess than nine proposed projects for
colored homesteaders are being stud
led at the present time and the ones
with the most favorable feaures are
being pushed to a point
where ALLEGATIONS can be made and
work started. These projects include
in Virginia, one in Pennsylvania,
one in Indiana, n in Mississippi,
one in South Carolina, one in New
,ne in North Carolina, and one in
Maryland. All together, they call
the expenditure Of approximately
81, 1000, 1000.
A project for Negro homesteaders
IS also being considered for establish
ment in California.