How,it is asked,would tailors,clerks,weavers,seamstresses,and the destitute people,born and reared in the slums and poverty-hovels of the towns and cities,do farm or any other work that has to do with the land?The employment in the open air,with exposure to every kind of weather which accompanies it,would,it is said,kill them off right away.
We reply,that the division of labour before described would render it as unnecessary as it would be undesirable and uneconomical,to put many of these people to dig or to plant.Neither is it any part of our plan to do so.On our Scheme we have shown how each one would be appointed to that kind of work for which his previous knowledge and experience and strength best adapted him.Moreover,there can be no possible comparison between the conditions of health enjoyed by men and women wandering about homeless,sleeping in the streets or in the fever-haunted lodging-houses,or living huddled up in a single room,and toiling twelve and fourteen hours in a sweater's den,and living in comparative comfort in well-warmed and ventilated houses,situated in the open country,with abundance of good,healthy food.
Take a man or a woman out into the fresh air,give them proper exercise,and substantial food.Supply them with a comfortable home,cheerful companions,and a fair prospect of reaching a position of independence in this or some other land,and a complete renewal of health and careful increase of vigour will,we expect,be one of the first great benefits that will ensue.
VI.--It is objected that we should be left with a considerable residuum of half-witted,helpless people.
Doubtless this would be a real difficulty,and we should have to prepare for it.We certainly,at the outset,should have to guard against too many of this class being left upon our hands,although we should not be compelled to keep anyone.It would,how ever,be painful to have to send them back to the dreadful life from which we had rescued them.Still,however,this would not be so ruinous a risk,looked at financially,as some would imagine.We could,we think,maintain them for 4s.per week,and they would be very weak indeed in body,and very wanting in mental,strength if they were not able to earn that amount in some one of the many forms of employment which the Colony would open up.
VII.--Again,it will be objected that some efforts of a similar character have failed.For instance,co-operative enterprises in farming have not succeeded.
True,but so far as I can ascertain,nothing of the character I am describing has ever been attempted.A large number of Socialistic communities have been established and come to grief in the United States,in Germany,and elsewhere,but they have all,both in principle and practice,strikingly differed from what we are proposing here:
Take one particular alone,the great bulk of these societies have not only been fashioned without any regard to the principles of Christianity,but,in the vast majority of instances,have been in direct opposition to them;and the only communities based on co-operative principles that have survived the first few months of their existence have been based upon Christian truth.If not absolute successes,there have been some very remarkable results obtained by efforts partaking somewhat of the nature of the one I am setting forth.
(See that of Ralahine,described in Appendix.)VIII.--It is further objected that it would be impossible to maintain order and enforce good discipline amongst this class of people.
We are of just the opposite opinion.We think that it would --nay,we are certain of it,and we speak as those who have had considerable experience in dealing with the lower classes of Society.
We have already dealt with this difficulty.We may say further--That we do not propose to commence with a thousand people in a wild,untamed state,either at home or abroad.To the Colony Over-Sea we should send none but those who have had a long period of training in this country.The bulk of those sent to the Provincial Farm would have had some sort of trial in the different City Establishments.We should only draft them on to the Estate in small numbers,as we were prepared to deal with them,and I am quite satisfied that without the legal methods of maintaining order that are acted upon so freely in workhouses and other similar institutions,we should have as perfect obedience to Law,as great respect for authority,and as strong a spirit of kindness pervading all ranks throughout the whole of the community as could be found in any other institution in the land.
It will be borne in mind that our Army system of government largely prepares us,if it does not qualify us,for this task.Anyway,it gives us a good start.All our people are trained in habits of obedience,and all our Officers are educated in the exercise of authority.The Officers throughout the Colony would be almost exclusively recruited from the ranks of the Army,and everyone of them would go to the work,both theoretically and practically,familiar with those principles which are the essence of good discipline.
Then we can argue,and that very forcibly,from the actual experience we have already had in dealing with this class.Take our experience in the Army itself.Look at the order of our Soldiers.Here are men and women,who have no temporal interest whatever at stake,receiving no remuneration,often sacrificing their earthly interests by their union with us,and yet see how they fall into line,and obey orders in the promptest manner,even when such orders go right in the teeth of their temporal interests.
"Yes,"it will be replied by some,"this is all very excellent so far as it relates to those who are altogether of your own way of thinking.
You can command them as you please,and they will obey,but what proof have you given of your ability to control and discipline those who are not of your way of thinking?
