Our National Defense: The Patriotism of PeaceMaxwell, George Hebard
History
Our National Defense: The Patriotism of Peace
Maxwell, George Hebard
United States -- Defenses
_Second:_ It will further demonstrate that the physical and mental
deterioration, poverty, disease, crime, human degeneracy, and racial decay
now being caused by the tenement life can be prevented by the Homecroft
Life.
_Third:_ Child labor and Woman labor in factories will be proved to be
economic waste because of the larger value of that labor at home devoted to
producing food for the family from garden and poultry yard, and preparing
and preserving it for home consumption. It will be demonstrated that no
child or woman can be spared from a Homecroft for work in a factory.
_Fourth:_ The fact will be established that the remedy for unemployment is
universal Homecroft Training in the public schools, the establishment of
all wageworkers in Suburban Homecrofts or Homecroft Villages, and that
every unemployed man or woman shall be set to work learning to be a
Homecrofter.
_Fifth:_ One million scientifically trained Homecrofters would be graduated
annually from the National Homecroft Reserve System,--ten million every ten
years,--with their families. These would scatter into every section of the
United States and would leaven a large loaf. They would be a tremendous
force to counteract the evil influences generated in the tenements. No
Homecrofter's family would ever be content to live in a flat or a tenement.
They would have learned the productive value of a Homecroft--a home with a
piece of ground that will produce food for the family.
_Sixth:_ The demonstration of the value of the Homecroft Life spread
throughout the United States by the millions of Homecroft Reserve graduates
would lead to a complete reconstruction of the Public School System of
every State. The year would be divided into two terms--one, a six months'
term from fall until spring, during which the courses of study now pursued
would be continued; the other, a six months' term from spring until fall,
covering the entire growing season, during which fruit-growing,
truck-gardening, berry-culture, poultry raising, home making, home-keeping,
and home-handicraft would be taught. In the cities these Summer Homecroft
Schools would be in the suburbs and would give every city child a chance to
spend its days in the sunshine and fresh air, among the trees, birds,
fields, and flowers, for six months of every year.
Every great institution must have a gradual growth. The Homecroft Reserve
System should be started on a comparatively small scale in places where the
immediate need of the practical benefits it will accomplish are most
manifest. Its enlargement will follow as a natural evolution. Once well
under way, it will grow by leaps and bounds, like the rural mail service or
the Agricultural Department of the national government.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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