in darkest england and the way out-第70章

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ons　will　without　question　require　money　to　make　ends　meet。　But　on　the　whole；　a　very　small　sum　of　money；　in　proportion　to　the　immense　amount　of　work　done；　will　enable　us　to　accomplish　a　vast　deal　of　good。

THE　FARM　COLONY　FROM　A　FINANCIAL　POINT　OF　VIEW。

Let　us　now　turn　to　the　Farm　Colony；　and　consider　it　from　a　monetary　standpoint。　　Here　also　a　certain　amount　of　money　will　have　to　be　expended　at　the　outset；　some　of　the　chief　items　of　which　will　be　the　purchase　of　land；　the　erection　of　buildings；　the　supply　of　stock；　and　the　production　of　first　crops。　　There　is　an　abundance　of　land　in　the　market；　at　the　present　time；　at　very　low　prices。　　It　is　rather　important　for　the　initial　experiment　that　an　estate　should　be　obtained　not　too　far　from　London；　with　land　suitable　for　immediate　cultivation。　Such　an　estate　would　beyond　question　be　expensive。　　After　a　time；　I　have　no　doubt；　we　shall　be　able　to　deal　with　land　of　almost　any　quality　（and　that　in　almost　any　part　of　the　country）；　in　consequence　of　the　superabundance　of　labour　we　shall　possess。　　There　is　no　question　if　the　scheme　goes　forward；　but　that　estates　will　be　required　in　connection　with　all　our　large　towns　and　cities。　　I　am　not　without　hope　that　a　sufficient　quantity　of　land　will　be　given；　or；　in　any　way；　sold　to　us　on　very　favourable　terms。

When　acquired　and　stocked；　it　is　calculated　that　this　land；　if　cultivated　by　spade　husbandry；　will　support　at　least　two　persons　per　acre。　　The　ordinary　reckoning　of　those　who　have　had　experience　with　allotments　gives　five　persons　to　three　acres。　But；　even　supposing　that　this　calculation　is　a　little　too　sanguine；　we　can　still　reckon　a　farm　of　500　acres　supporting；　without　any　outside　assistance；　say；　750　persons。　　But；　in　this　Scheme；　we　should　have　many　advantages　not　possessed　by　the　simple　peasant；　such　as　those　resulting　from　combination；　market　gardening；　and　the　other　forms　of　cultivation　already　referred　to；　and　thus　we　should　want　to　place　two　or　three　times　this　number　on　that　quantity　of　land。

By　a　combination　of　City　and　Town　Colonies；　there　will　be　a　market　for　at　least　a　large　portion　of　the　products。　　At　the　rate　of　our　present　consumption　in　the　London　Food　Depots　and　Homes　for　the　Destitute　alone；　at　least　50　acres　would　be　required　for　potatoes　alone；　and　every　additional　Colonist　would　be　an　additional　consumer。

There　will　be　no　rent　to　pay；　as　it　is　proposed　to　buy　the　land　right　out。　　In　the　event　of　a　great　rush　being　made　for　the　allotment's　spoken　of；　further　land　might　be　rented；　with　option　of　purchase。

Of　course；　the　continuous　change　of　labourers　would　tell　against　the　profitableness　of　the　undertaking。　　But　this　would　be　proportionally　beneficial　to　the　country；　seeing　that　everyone　who　passes　through　the　institution　with　credit　makes　one　less　in　the　helpless　crowd。

The　rent　of　Cottages　and　Allotments　would　constitute　a　small　return；　and　at　least　pay　interest　on　the　money　invested　in　them。

The　labour　spent　upon　the　Colony　would　be　constantly　increasing　its　money　value。　　Cottages　would　be　built；　orchards　planted；　land　enriched；　factories　run　up；　warehouses　erected；　while　other　improvements　would　be　continually　going　forward。　　All　the　labour　and　a　large　part　of　the　material　would　be　provided　by　the　Colonists　themselves。

It　may　be　suggested　that　the　worker　would　nave　to　be　maintained　during　the　progress　of　these　erections　and　manufactures；　the　cost　of　which　would　in　itself　amount　to　a　considerable　sum。　　Truer　and　for　this　the　first　outlay　would　be　required。　　But　after　this　every　cottage　erected；　every　road　made；　in　short　every　structure　and　improvement；　would　be　a　means　of　carrying　forward　the　regenerating　process；　and　in　many　cases　it　is　expected　will　become　a　source　of　income。

As　the　Scheme　progresses；　it　is　not　irrational　to　expect　that　Government；　or　some　of　the　varied　Local　Authorities；　will　assist　in　the　working　out　of　a　plan　which；　in　so　marked　a　manner；　will　relieve　the　rates　and　taxes　or　the　country。

The　salaries　of　Officers　would　be　in　keeping　with　those　given　in　the　Salvation　Army；　which　are　very　low。

No　wages　would　be　paid　to　Colonists；　as　has　been　described；　beyond　pocket　money　and　a　trifle　for　extra　service。

Although　no　permanent　invalid　would　be　knowingly　taken　into　the　Colonies；　it　is　fair　to　assume　that　there　will　be　a　certain　number；　and　also　a　considerable　residuum　of　naturally　indolent；　half…witted　people；　incapable　of　improvement；　left　upon　our　hands。　　Still；　it　is　thought　that　with　reformed　habits；　variety　of　employment；　and　careful　oversight；　such　may　be　made　to　earn　their　own　maintenance；　at　least；　especially　when　it　is　borne　in　mind　that　unless　they　work；　so　far　as　they　have　ability；　they　cannot　remain　in　the　Colony。

If　the　Household　Salvage　Scheme　which　has　been　explained　in　Chapter　II。　proves　the　success　we　anticipate；　there　can　be　no　question　that　great　financial　assistance　will　be　rendered　by　it　to　the　entire　scheme　when　once　the　whole　thing　has　been　brought　into　working　order。

THE　FINANCIAL　ASPECT　OF　THE　COLONY　OVER…SEA。

Let　us　now　turn　to　the　Colony　Over…Sea；　and　regard　it　also　from　the　financial　standpoint。　　Here　we　must　occupy　ourselves　chiefly　with　the　preliminary　outlay；　as　we　could　not　for　a　moment　contemplate　having　to　find　money　to　assist　it　when　once　fairly　established。　　The　initial　expense　will；　no　doubt；　be　somewhat　heavy；　but　not　beyond　a　reasonable　amount。

The　land　required　would　probably　be　given；　whether　we　go　to　Africa；　Canada；　or　elsewhere；　anyway；　it　would　be　acquired　on　such　easy　terms　as　would　be　a　near　approach　to　a　gift。

A　considerable　sum　would　certainly　be　necessary　for　effecting　the　first　settlements。　　There　would　be　temporary　buildings　to　erect；　land　to　break　up　and　crop；　stock；　farm　implements；　and　furniture　to　purchase；　and　other　similar　expenses。　　But　this　would　not　be　undertaken　on　a　large　scale；　as　we　should　rely；　to　some　extent；　on　the　successive　batches　of　Colonists　more　or　less　providing　for　themselves；　and　in　this　respect　working　out　their　own　salvation。

The　amount　advanced　for　passages；　outfit　money；　and　settlement　would　be　repaid　by　instalments　by　the　Colonists；　which　would　in　turn　serve　to　pay　the　cost　of　conveying　others　to　the　same　destination。

Passage　and　outfit　money　would；　no　doubt；　continue　to　be　some　difficulty。　　#8　per　head；　say　to　Africa#5　passage　money；　and　#3　for　the　journey　across　the　countryis　a　large　sum　when　a　considerable　number　are　involved；　and　I　am　afraid　no　Colony　would　be　reached　at　a　much　lower　rate。　　But　I　am　not　without　hope　that　the　Government　might　assist　us　in　this　direction。

Taking　up　the　entire　question；　that　is　of　the　three　Colonies；　we　are　satisfied　that　the　sum　named　will　suffice　to　set　to　work　an　agency　which　will　probably　rescue　from　lives　of　degradation　and　immorality　an　immense　number　of　people；　and　that　an　income　of　something　like　#30；000　will　keep　it　afloat。　　But　supposing　that　a　much　larger　amount　should　be　required；　by　operations　greatly　in　advance　of　those　here　spoken　of；　which　we　think　exceedingly　probable；　it　is　not　unreasonable　to　expect　that　it　will　be　forthcoming；　seeing　that　caring　for　the　poor　is　not　only　a　duty　of　universal　obligation；　a　root　principle　of　all　religion；　but　an　instinct　of　humanity　not　likely　to　be　abolished　in　our　time。　We　are　not　opposed　to　charity　as　such；　but　to　the　mode　of　its　administration；　which；　instead　of　permanently　relieving；　only　demoralises　and　plunges　the　recipients　lower　in　the　mire；　and　so　defeats　its　own　purpose。

〃What！〃　I　think　I　hear　some　say；　〃a　million　sterling！　how　can　any　man　out　of　Bedlam　dream　of　raising　such　a　sum？〃　　Stop　a　little！　　A　million　may　be　a　great　deal　to　pay　for　a　diamond　or　a　palace；　but　it　is　a　mere　trifle　compared　with　the　sums　which　Britain　lavishes　whenever　Britons　are　in　need　of　deliverance　if　they　happen　to　be　imprisoned　abroad。　The　King　of　Ashantee　had　captive　some　British　subjectsnot　even　of　English　birthin　1869。　　John　Bull　despatched　General　Wolseley　with　the　pick　of　the　British　army；　who　smashed　Koffee　Kalkallee；　liberated　the　captives；　and　burnt　Coomassie；　and　never　winced　when　the　bill　came　in　for　#750；000。　　But　that　was　a　mere　trifle。　　When　King　Theodore；　of　Abyssinia；　made　captive