HOMECROFTING AND THE PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—I thank Professor Scott for his congratulations, but as we shall get the 28,000 for the homecrofting educational colony only if we can find at least half a dozen people of the right kind to start it with, there will be nothing to con- gratulate us upon unless all those who realize the hopefulness of homecrofting help us in our search for the pioneers.
Of course this pioneering makes a practical appeal as well as a philanthropic one. The pioneers will not only be able to earn something, but also to live very inexpensively in the most agreeable surroundings. They will not, however, be assured a living. They will need some resources of their own. The people thus in a position to join form an excep- tional class in every way.
It is perhaps best to call attention first to the child welfare aspect of the homecrofting school. Let us then imagine our town children—or those of them who wanted, and whose parents consented—going in the morning, not to a school in a street, but to a garage where conveyances would await them to take them out into the country. These would be the tractors from their homecrofting school drawing a couple of trailers each. Five miles an hour would be a sufficient speed, and then the trailers could be _what we shall describe here as double side-cars, on two wheels, taking four rows of children (facing sideways), eight in each row, so that the trailers would take about thirty each. That plan would give a very cheap, strong and light construction suiting the purpose perfectly.
They would remain two days at the country school, sleeping thus one night in alternate batches, so that the spacious classrooms would serve as dormitories—thus for half the children. They would have four hours of class work, which is the really healthy and useful amount, and three hours of productive work, which would leave ample time for good games.
We are thinking, of course, of a modern homecrofting school, so there are no objections to be made about the distaste of the town boy for hours of digging, weeding, &c. The roto-cultivator would do most of the digging, and the weeding, systematically done, always the "stitch in time that saves nine," is a matter of a sociable quarter of an hour now and then between .class hours.•Three books and 'twice that number of pamphlets were
issued by Calcutta University and the Association dealing with the many aspects, educational and other, of the plan. That means, in a word, that there is more to study in con- nexion with it than most people have the patience for. Demonstrations alone, leading to wider and wider applica- tions, will take us in the direction of the realization of this wonderful possibility progress has opened up for the welfare of the young. We must multiply examples of all kinds of homecrofting colonies, and should therefore eagerly take advantage of Professor Laserre's offer: I mentioned in my letter you published on May 3rd the many ways in which the homecrofting school would attack the great problem of unemployment ; among them that the same organization that would keep the young from competing in the labour market would be as suitable for the older workers, who have difficulty in obtaining employment, as it could make them decently off with very little pecuniary assistance, whilst the possibilities it would open up for mass emigration are of the very greatest interest and importance.
But nothing except demonstrations will convince people that such a little David as homecrofting could ever do anything to such a Goliath as unemployment, so I hope this earnest appeal for help will meet with some response.—I am, Sir, &c., J. W. PETAVEL.
Previous page
