Agricultural colonies; Poor -- Great Britain; Salvation Army; Unemployed -- Great Britain
The whole Scheme of the three Colonies will for all practical purposes
be regarded as one; hence the training will have in view the
qualification of the Colonists for ultimately earning their livelihood
in the world altogether independently of our assistance, or, failing
this, fit them for taking some permanent work within our borders either
at home or abroad.
Another result of this unity of the Town and Country Colonies will be
the removal of one of the difficulties ever connected with the disposal
of the products of unemployed labour. The food from the Farm would be
consumed by the City, while many of the things manufactured in the City
would be consumed on the Farm.
The continued effort of all concerned in the reformation of these
people will be to inspire and cultivate those habits, the want of which
has been so largely the cause of the destitution and vice of the past.
Strict discipline, involving careful and continuous oversight, would be
necessary to the maintenance of order amongst so large a number of
people, many of whom had hitherto lived a wild and licentious life.
Our chief reliance in this respect would be upon the spirit of mutual
interest that would prevail.
The entire Colony would probably be divided into sections, each under
the supervision of a sergeant--one of themselves--working side by
side with them, yet responsible for the behaviour of all.
The chief Officers of the Colony would be individuals who had given
themselves to the work, not for a livelihood, but from a desire to be
useful to the suffering poor. They would be selected at the outset
from the Army, and that on the ground of their possessing certain
capabilities for the position, such as knowledge of the particular kind
of work they had to superintend, or their being good disciplinarians
and having the faculty for controlling men and being themselves
influenced by a spirit of love. Ultimately the Officers, we have no
doubt, would be, as is the case in all our other operations, men and
women raised up from the Colonists themselves, and who will
consequently, possess some special qualifications for dealing with
those they have to superintend. The Colonists will be divided into two
classes: the 1st, the class which receives no wages will consist of: --
(a) The new arrivals, whose ability, character, and habits are as yet
unknown.
(b) The less capable in strength, mental calibre, or other capacity.
(c) The indolent, and those whose conduct and character appeared
doubtful. These would remain in this class, until sufficiently
improved for advancement, or are pronounced so hopeless as to
justify expulsion.
The 2nd class would have a small extra allowance, a part of which would
be given to the workers for private use, and a part reserved for future
contingencies, the payment of travelling expenses, etc.
From this class we should obtain our petty officers, send out hired
labourers, emigrants, etc., etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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