CORRESPONDENCE
THE HOMECROFT SETTLEMENT FUND
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] fint,—In this letter I am not yet going to "report progress" concerning our Homecroft Settlement Fund. I fain would do so. There is plenty to say, but it is too soon ; and I reso- lutely keep a seal upon my lips. Some of my readers will perhaps understand, however, if I just allude to that curious, indefinite something which practised company-promoters would call the "feeling of success" which comes, with all successful things, at a certain stage.* For that has come. Whatever may happen, people are thinking. Clear as the day-star, there is interest in this thing ; agitated interest ; the kind of interest a man has when he is on the verge of doing something. And I wish to take this occasion of saying just what our scheme is. Unknown friends have been writing to me ; real ones, who mean seriously about the matter. There is not a great deal actually precipi- tated yet. I am glad of that. I don't want to have—what shall I say?—" big money" too hurriedly precipitated, well as I know we have a time limit. Our time limit is August 22nd If we are to buy the land. We need to have at least 11,250 by that time. And I know that August 22nd will come very quickly. Yet I really want people to look at the proposition. For I want men's hearts, not their purses only. If their hearts are satisfied that this is a right thing, then they will act decisively, whether " decisively " means for them one pound or a thousand.
So here is the proposition. We are out for a definite experi- mental Homecroft Settlement as advocated in Unemploy- ment: a Suggested Policy (A. and C. Black, 1s.). We have twenty acres of land in sight, of which we may cut off two. We want, if possible, to develop the whole of it at once, and turn it into Homecrofts, each consisting of half-an-acre with a cottage. The capital required is roughly 117,500 for the forty crofts ; or 1437 10s. each. The Society's source of income thereafter will be the rents of the crofts—purchase- rents.
How are we to get this total sum ? We are aiming at having at least 12,500 of subscribed capital. This we are appealing for now, through the columns of the Spectator. We shall endeavour to supplement this with a grant from a Government fund, for which application is now being made. If this application is successful—I underline the word if—then we hope by that means to bring our 12,500 of subscribed capital up to such a figure that we can borrow the remainder of what we want on the security of the property, and go forward with the whole scheme, and try to make it a real national demon- stration.
But we are not in a position of depending on the help of any Government Fund in this matter. As everyone knows, Funds are all administered under Acts, and with the best will in the world those responsible for their administration may not be able to help us. If they are not able to help us, then we carry on with the small, partial scheme we suggested at first—" we" being, of course, the Public Utility Society which is now in course of formation in order to give legal and corporate status to the committee administering this Homecroft Fund, and to whom the money will in due course be handed over by the Spectator.
And we shall not insist on actually seeing even the 12,500 * P.S.—I have let all this stand as I wrote it. Obviously that was before I had seen the newest Spectator. before we move. We shall act—i.e., we shall buy the land —if we see as much as 11,250 before us in hard cash or definite promises before August 22nd. But that is the lowest possible limit which our technical advisers will sanction.
In actually working the scheme, the Spectator's proposal of prizes will certainly be taken advantage of. It is the very best way of keeping the central idea of Homecrofting alive. The crofts will be let to carefully selected industrial and manual workers with allotment experience, who will be charged a rent of an amount sufficient to make their respective Homecrofts their own at the end of a term of twenty-three years with interest in the meantime at 5 per cent, per annum.
But Homecrofting means ownership of the land by the people. And though our Homecrofters begin as tenants they are not to remain so. They will become owners, and in the following way. At the end of the first three years his Home- croft will be conveyed, on a Mortgage Agreement, to any satisfactory occupier who has paid up his instalments for that period.' He will be on probation up till that time, and then get his freehold.
How much will this purchase rent be ? A flat rate of 12s. 6d. a week, with interest at 5 per cent, and yearly rents, pays off a Homecroft costing 1487 17s. 6d. in twenty-three years. This weekly payment can be still further reduced by extending the time.
In conclusion let me say, lest the point should be overlooked, that this whole thing is, with respect to its ultimate sources, Cheltenham's own enterprise. But I feel sure that the town will appreciate all the helpful interest that the rest of the county is showing. Meanwhile, the country's own necessity for a lead in this direction is crying and immediate. We need the soil for the days that are before us. We need the safety of the soil. For only next the soil are our teeming populations safe in case of war. Homecrofting is an attempt, while leaving the wage-worker still a wage-worker, to entrench him and his family beside their food supply. It is an attempt to banish Hunger.—I am, Sir, &c., [We note with great pleasure the support which Professor Scott is receiving for his Homecrofting scheme from the readers of the Spectator. The payments and promises to his fund now amount to 1457 9s. We hope very much that they will not cease till he has got at least that £1,250 which should make his experiment secure. Adam was, no doubt, the first Homecrofter, and ever since mankind has had a natural desire "to live on his own." Subscriptions to the Home- crofting Fund should be sent to us and cheques should be made payable to "The Homecrofting Fund," and should be crossed "Barclays Bank, Goslings Branch." We desire to add that though we support most strongly Professor Scott's ideals the Spectator cannot take any responsibility as to the conduct and management of the practical application of the subscriptions. That responsibility is entirely in the hands of Professor Scott and those legally associated with him. During the past week we have received from J.M.F.M. 15, and from Miss F. M. Sykes and A. Maclaverty /10 each.—En. Spectator.]
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