CO-OPERATIVE SETTLEMENT 



ber of churches, nor that it should bo undertaken as a 

 matter of charity. It is work for such a company as Dr, 

 E. R. L. Gould founded in New York to build comfort- 

 able suburban homes for those who could gradually pay 

 for them. It is a work worthy to command such popular 

 support as Mr. Plunkett has won for his cause in Ire- 

 land. It is a work which calls for a combination of busi- 

 ness sagacity, administrative talent, and humanitarian 

 impulses. 



An organization which should meet the present needs 

 of the American people in this respect, and rise to its 

 full opportunity, would acquire as much of the idle irri- 

 gation property in the West as was needed for its pur- 

 pose, and might gradually absorb the larger portion of 

 such properties. It would prepare to found colonies in 

 different localities capable of expansion, so that after a 

 time its plans would be in operation under different con- 

 ditions of climate, soil, and markets. It would demon- 

 strate the demand for its existence by receiving appli- 

 cations from indefinite thousands of good families, who 

 would be glad to put their labor against necessary land 

 and capital. It would set apart from its property, by 

 deeding outright to a responsible trustee, such of its 

 lands as were best adapted to settlement, issuing against 

 these lands bonds bearing six per cent, interest and fall- 

 ing due in ten years. Thus these bonds would be spe- 

 cifically secured upon the lands to the improvement of 

 .which the labor and capital would be applied, and would 

 have the further guaranty of an organization owning 

 valuable property created by former investments. 



The organization would then proceed to obtain its set- 

 tlers by a process of careful selection and conduct them 



205 



