Indeed, it was an identity of view
upon this point, which is one that I have advanced for years, that
first brought me into contact with the Salvation Army. But to preach
the advantages of bringing people back to the land is one thing, and
to get them there quite another. Many obstacles stand in the way. I
need only mention two of these: the necessity for large capital and
the still more important necessity of enabling those who are settled
on it to earn out of Mother Earth a sufficient living for themselves
and their families.
That well-known philanthropist, the late Mr. Herring, was another
person much impressed with the importance of this matter, and I
remember about five years ago dining with him, with General Booth as
my fellow-guest, on an occasion when all this subject was gone into in
detail. So lively, indeed, was Mr. Herring's interest that he offered
to advance a sum of L100,000 to the Army, to be used in an experiment
of land-settlement, carried out under its auspices. Should that
experiment prove successful, the capital repaid by the tenants was to
go to King Edward's Hospital Fund, and should it fail, that capital
was to be written off.
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