in darkest england and the way out-第62部分

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　income　of　#30；000　which　is　about　three　and　a…quarter　per　cent。　on　the　balance　of　the　million　sterling；　for　which　I　ask　as　an　earnest　that　the　public　intend　to　put　its　hand　to　this　business　with　serious　resolution；　and　our　judgment　is　based；　not　on　any　mere　imaginings；　but　upon　the　actual　result　of　the　experiments　already　made。　　Still　it　must　be　remembered　that　so　vast　and　desirable　an　end　cannot　be　even　practically　contemplated　without　a　proportionate　financial　outlay。　　Supposing；　however；　by　the　subscription　of　this　amount　the　undertaking　is　fairly　set　afloat。　　The　question　may　be　asked；　〃What　further　funds　will　be　required　for　its　efficient　maintenance？〃　　This　question　we　proceed　to　answer。　　Let　us　look　at　the　three　Colonies　apart；　and　then　at　some　of　the　circumstances　which　apply　to　the　whole。　　To　begin　with；　there　is

THE　FINANCIAL　ASPECT　OF　THE　CITY　COLONY。

Here　there　will　be；　of　course；　a　considerable　outlay　required　for　the　purchasing　and　fitting　up　of　property；　the　acquisition　of　machinery；　furniture；　tools；　and　the　necessary　plant　for　carrying　forward　all　these　varied　operations。　　These　once　acquired；　no　further　outlay　will　be　needed　except　for　the　necessary　reparations。

The　Homes　for　the　Destitute　will　be　nearly；　if　not　quite；　self…sustaining。　The　Superior　Homes　for　both　Single　and　Married　people　will　not　only　pay　for　themselves；　but　return　some　interest　on　the　amount　invested；　which　would　be　devoted　to　the　futherance　of　other　parts　of　the　Scheme。

The　Refuges　for　Fallen　Girls　would　require　considerable　funds　to　keep　them　going。　　But　the　public　has　never　been　slow　to　practically　express　its　sympathy　with　this　class　of　work。

The　Criminal　Homes　and　Prison　Gate　Operations　would　require　continued　help；　but　not　a　very　great　deal。　　Then；　the　work　in　the　Slums　is　somewhat　expensive。　　The　eighty　young　women　at　present　engaged　in　it　cost　on　an　average　12s。　per　week　each　for　personal　maintenance；　inclusive　of　clothes　and　other　little　matters；　and　there　are　expenses　for　Halls　and　some　little　relief　which　cannot　in　anyway　be　avoided；　bringing　our　present　annual　Slum　outlay　to　over　#4；000。　　But　the　poor　people　amongst　whom　they　work　notwithstanding　their　extreme　poverty；　are　already　contributing　over　#1；000　per　annum　towards　this　amount；　which　income　will　increase。　　Still　as　by　this　Scheme　we　propose　to　add　at　once　a　hundred　to　the　number　already　engaged；　money　will　be　required　to　keep　th　is　department　going。

The　Inebriate　Home；　I　calculate；　will　maintain　itself。　　All　its　inmates　will　have　to　engage　in　some　kind　of　remunerative　labour；　and　we　calculate；　in　addition；　upon　receiving　money　with　a　considerable　number　of　those　availing　themselves　of　its　benefits。　　But　to　practically　assist　the　half…million　slaves　of　the　cup　we　must　have　money　not　only　to　launch　out　but　to　keep　our　operations　going。

The　Food　Depots；　once　fitted　up；　pay　their　own　working　expenses。

The　Emigration；　Advice；　and　Inquiry　Bureaux　must　maintain　themselves　or　nearly　so。　　The　Labour　Shops；　Anti…Sweating；　and　other　similar　operations　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　th