in darkest england and the way out-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　prevail　throughout　the　community。　　But　as　it　cannot　be　expected　to　　　　　be　universally　successful；　certain　penalties　will　have　to　be　　　　　provided：　

　（a）　First　offences；　except　in　flagrant　cases；　will　be　recorded。　　（b）　The　second　offence　will　be　published。　　（c）　The　third　offence　will　incur　expulsion　or　being　handed　over　to　the　　　　　　authorities。

　Other　regulations　will　be　necessary　as　the　Scheme　develops。

There　will　be　no　attempt　to　enforce　upon　the　Colonists　the　rules　and　regulations　to　which　Salvation　Soldiers　are　subjected。　　Those　who　are　soundly　saved　and　who　of　their　own　free　will　desire　to　become　Salvationists　will；　of　course；　be　subjected　to　the　rules　of　the　Service。　　But　Colonists　who　are　willing　to　work　and　obey　the　orders　of　the　Commanding　Officer　will　only　be　subject　to　the　foregoing　and　similar　regulations；　in　all　other　things　they　will　be　left　free。

For　instance；　there　will　be　no　objection　to　field　recreations　or　any　outdoor　exercises　which　conduce　to　the　maintenance　of　health　and　spirits。　　A　reading　room　and　a　library　will　be　provided；　together　with　a　hall；　in　which　they　can　amuse　themselves　in　the　long　winter　nights　and　in　unfavourable　weather。　　These　things　are　not　for　the　Salvation　Army　Soldiers；　who　have　other　work　in　the　world；　but　for　those　who　are　not　in　the　Army　these　recreations　will　be　permissible。　　Gambling　and　anything　of　an　immoral　tendency　will　be　repressed　like　stealing。

There　will　probably　be　an　Annual　Exhibition　of　fruit　and　flowers；　at　which　all　the　Colonists　who　have　a　plot　of　garden　of　their　own　will　take　part。　　They　will　exhibit　their　fruit　and　vegetables　as　well　as　their　rabbits；　their　poultry　and　all　the　other　live…stock　of　the　farm。　Every　effort　will　be　made　to　establish　village　industries；　and　I　am　not　without　hope　but　that　we　may　be　able　to　restore　some　of　the　domestic　occupations　which　steam　has　compelled　us　to　confine　to　the　great　factories。　　The　more　the　Colony　can　be　made　self…supporting　the　better。　And　although　the　hand　loom　can　never　compete　with　Manchester　mills；　still　an　occupation　which　kept　the　hands　of　the　goodwife　busy　in　the　long　winter　nights；　is　not　to　be　despised　as　an　element　in　the　economics　of　the　Settlement。　　While　Manchester　and　Leeds　may　be　able　to　manufacture　common　goods　much　more　cheaply　than　they　can　be　spun　at　home；　even　these　emporiums；　with　all　their　grand　improvements　in　machinery；　would　be　sorely　pressed　to…day　to　compete　with　the　hand…loom　in　many　superior　classes　of　work。　　For　instance；　we　all　know　the　hand…sewn　boot　still　holds　its　own　against　the　most　perfect　article　that　machinery　can　turn　out。

There　would　be；　in　the　centre　of　the　Colony；　a　Public　Elementary　School　at　which　the　children　would　receive　training；　and　side　by　side　with　that　an　Agricultural　Industrial　School；　as　elsewhere　described。

The　religious　welfare　of　the　Colony　would　be　looked　after　by　the　Salvation　Army；　but　there　will　be　no　compulsion　to　take　part　in　its　services。　　The　Sabbath　will　be　strictly　observed；　no　unnecessary　work　will　be　done　in　the　Colony　on　that　day；　but　beyond　interdicted　labour；　the　Colonists　will　be　allowed　to　spend　Sunday　as　they　please。　It　will　be　the　fault　of　the　Salvation　Army　if　they　do　not　find　our　Sunday　Services　sufficiently　attractive　to　command　their　attendance。


SECTION　3。AGRICULTURAL　VILLAGES。

This　brings　me　to　the　next　feature　of　the　Scheme；　the　creation　of　agricultural　settlements　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Farm；　around　the　original　Estate。　　I　hope　to　obtain　land　for　the　purpose　of　allotments　which　can　be　taken　up　to　the　extent　of　so　many　acres　by　the　more　competent　Colonists　who　wish　to　remain　at　home　instead　of　going　abroad。　There　will　be　allotments　from　three　to　five　acres　with　a　cottage；　a　cow；　and　the　necessary　tools　and　seed　for　making　the　allotment　self…supporting。　　A　weekly　charge　will　be　imposed　for　the　he　repayment　of　the　cost　of　the　fixing　and　stock。　　The　tenant　will　of　course；　be　entitled　to　his　tenant…right；　but　adequate　precautions　will　be　taken　against　underletting　and　other　forms　by　which　sweating　makes　its　way　into　agricultural　communities。　　On　entering　into　possession；　the　tenant　will　become　responsible　for　his　own　and　his　family's　maintenance。　I　shall　stand　no　longer　in　the　relation　of　father　of　the　household　to　him；　as　I　do　to　the　other　members　of　the　Colony；　his　obligations　will　cease　to　me；　except　in　the　payment　of　his　rent。

The　creation　of　a　large　number　of　Allotment　Farms　would　make　the　establishment　of　a　creamery　necessary；　where　the　milk　could　be　brought　in　every　day　and　converted　into　butter　by　the　most　modern　methods；　with　the　least　possible　delay。　　Dairying；　which　has　in　some　places　on　the　Continent　almost　developed　to　a　fine　art；　is　in　a　very　backward　condition　in　this　country。　　But　by　co…operation　among　the　cottiers　and　an　intelligent　Headquarter　staff　much　could　be　done　which　at　present　appears　impossible。

The　tenant　will　be　allowed　permanent　tenancy　on　payment　of　an　annual　rent　or　land　tax；　subject；　of　course；　to　such　necessary　regulations　which　may　be　made　for　the　prevention　of　intemperance　and　immorality　and　the　preservation　of　the　fundamental　features　of　the　Colony。　　In　this　way　our　Farm　Colony　will　throw　off　small　Colonies　all　round　it　until　the　original　site　is　but　the　centre　of　a　whole　series　of　small　farms；　where　those　whom　we　have　rescued　and　trained　will　live；　if　not　under　their　own　vine　and　fig　tree；　at　least　in　the　midst　of　their　own　little　fruit　farm；　and　surrounded　by　their　small　flocks　and　herds。　The　cottages　will　be　so　many　detached　residences；　each　standing　in　its　own　ground；　not　so　far　away　from　its　neighbours　as　to　deprive　its　occupants　of　the　benefit　of　human　intercourse。


SECTION　4。CO…OPERATIVE　FARM。

Side　by　side　with　the　Farm　Colony　proper　I　should　propose　to　renew　the　experiment　of　Mr。　E。　T。　Craig；　which　he　found　work　so　successfully　at　Ralahine。　　When　any　members　of　the　original　Colony　had　pulled　themselves　sufficiently　together　to　desire　to　begin　again　on　their　own　account；　I　should　group　some　of　them　as　partners　in　a　Co…operative　Farm；　and　see　whether　or　no　the　success　achieved　in　County　Clare　could　not　be　repeated　in　Essex　or　in　Kent。　　I　cannot　have　more　unpromising　material　to　deal　with　than　the　wild　Irishmen　on　Colonel　Vandeleur's　estate；　and　I　would　certainly　take　care　to　be　safeguarded　against　any　such　mishap　as　destroyed　the　early　promise　of　Ralahine。

I　shall　look　upon　this　as　one　of　the　most　important　experiments　of　the　entire　series；　and　if；　as　I　anticipate；　it　can　be　worked　successfully；　that　is；　if　the　results　of　Ralahine　can　be　secured　on　a　larger　scale；　I　shall　consider　that　the　problem　of　the　employment　of　the　people；　and　the　use　of　the　land；　and　the　food　supply　for　the　globe；　is　unquestionably　solved；　were　its　inhabitants　many　times　greater　in　number　than　they　are。

Without　saying　more；　some　idea　will　be　obtained　as　to　what　I　propose　from　the　story　of　Ralahine　related　briefly　at　the　close　of　this　volume。


CHAPTER　4。　　NEW　BRITAINTHE　COLONY　OVER…SEA。

We　now　come　to　the　third　and　final　stage　of　the　regenerative　process。　The　Colony　Over…Sea。　　To　mention　Over…Sea　is　sufficient　with　some　people　to　damn　the　Scheme。　　A　prejudice　against　emigration　has　been　diligently　fostered　in　certain　quarters　by　those　who　have　openly　admitted　that　they　did　not　wish　to　deplete　the　ranks　of　the　Army　of　Discontent　at　home；　for　the　more　discontented　people　you　have　here　the　more　trouble　you　can　give　the　Government；　and　the　more　power　you　have　to　bring　about　the　general　overturn；　which　is　the　only　thing　in　which　they　see　any　hope　for　the　future。　　Some　again　object　to　emigration　on　the　ground　that　it　is　transportation。　　I　confess　that　I　have　great　sympathy　with　those　who　object　to　emigration　as　carried　on　hitherto；　and　if　it　be　a　consolation　to　any　of　my　critics　I　may　say　at　once　that　so　far　from　compulsorily　expatriating　any　Englishman　I　shall　refuse　to　have　any　part　or　lot　in　emigrating　any　man　or　woman　who　does　not　voluntarily　wish　to　be　sent　out。

A　journey　over　sea　is　a　very　different　thing　now　to　what　it　was　when　a　voyage　to　Australia　consumed　more　than　six　months；　when　emigrants　were　crowded　by　hundreds　into　sailing　ships；　and　scenes　of　abominable　sin　and　brutality　were　the　normal　incidents　of　the　passage。　　The　world　has　grown　much　smaller　since　the　electric　telegraph　was　discovered　and　side　by　side　with　the　shrinkage　of　this　planet　under　the　influence　of　steam　and　electricity　there　has　come　a　sense　of　brotherhood　and　a　consciousness　of　community　of　interest　and　of　nationality　on　the　part　of　the　English…speaking　people　throughout　the　world。　　To　change　from　Devon　to　Australia　is　not　such　a　change　in　many　respects　as　merely　to　cross　over　from　Devon　to　Normandy。　　In　Australia　the　Emigrant　finds　him　self　among　men　and　women　of　the　same　habits；　the　same　language；　and　in　fact　the　same　people；　excepting　that　they　live　under　the　southern　cross　instead　of　in　the　northern　latitudes。　　The　reduction　of　the　postage　between　England　and　the　Colonies；　a　reduction　which　I　hope　will　soon　be　followed　by　the　establishment　of　the　Universal　Penny　Post　between　the　English　speaking　lands；　will　further　tend　to　lessen　the　sense　of　distance。

The　constant　travelling　of　the　Colonists