Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-08-01
A SOCIAL PALACE.
PARIS, FAMOUS "FAMlLIsTeRE"
FOUNDED BY NJ. GoDlN.


Roof--Easy Hours Of I.abor--Aged and
Crippled Insured.
From his boyhood NJ. Godin had been
student and follower Of the social ideas OF
Fourier and Peru Enfantin. Now, having
reached position Of power and independ-
ence, he determined To put those theories
into practice. His plan was TO make one
\ great family Of all his work people, with
/ common mutual interests in the general wei
fare. He accordingly erected a large build
ing, to which additions have since from time
10 time been made, until 1t now has 'front.'
age of nearly COO feet. This he divided into
suites of rooms for his workmen and their
families. He called IL tho 'Palais Social -
But Il IL more commonly known Is the
ssFamilistere.n At first the workmen did
not like the idea They thought it would
diminish their Independence TO live In such
an institution But M. Goden soon per-
suaded them that the system would make
them really moro independent, beside ena-
bling them 20 live far more cheaply and there
fore save far more money.
In addition to the main building various
wings and additional buildings have been
erected, until now more than 400 families are
lodged In the ''Palais Social Were these In
ordinary city tenements they would solidly
| occupy a street more than a mile long. The
buildings are all Of brick, and are practically
fireproof, and constructed with every possible
device for the comfort and sanitation of the
occupants The buildings are four stories
high, and each story hns a clear height Of
ten feet. There is an abundant supply OF
water in every room There is also a large
courtyard attached to each building, paved
n - 4s...a..
a playground for the children IN bad weather.
The doors OF the buildings arc never fastened
and there are no watchmen nor special rules,
so that all the occupants are as free to come
and go and do as they please, as though each
family lived in "A cottage OF its own. Each
family may rent many rooms as 1t pleases,
and It's apartments aro entirely separate from
those of its neighbors, excepting, of course,
that they open upon general public hall
way. Indeed the system IL very much like
that of of one Of the huge apartment houses
which have become 50 common in American
cities The cost OF the buildings has been
about 500 for each inmate, and the rent
charged averages about 81 per month for
each room. | may aid that NJ Godin him
self had always occupied "a soe of rooms in tho
"Palais Social differing from those Of his
workman in no respect save the furniture,
ETC., no put into them.
Connected with the establishment there arc
also free schools, which are of higher grade
than tine public schools Of France, free libra
ries and reading rooms; well equipped the
afro, tho prices OF admission to which range
from five cents TO forty cents; gardens and
PARKS cooperative stores, at which every
thing can be purchased at the lowest possible
prices and then pay an annual dividend Of
profit to the purchasers; "A cafe, nursery,
and numerous MINOR institutions. There are
also two iourishing choral societies whose oc-
casonal musical festivities are events OF real
artistic interest. The nursery Is tho most
valuable OF all these adjuncts TO the "Palais
Social" IL is a large, CHEEKY building in
charge Of a corps of nurses, where mothers
may leave their children for tho day while
they are at work. For there Is much en-
: ploysnent for che women, r. the stores the
laundry and the stocking factory There ar;
cradles for tine very young babies, and play
room and kindergarten for the older. Ever
here NJ Godin's inventive play came intS
skill, In dlevising new kinds of cradles, etc.
. for the babies, by which the comfort nnS
welfare OF the little ones Is insured, while thi
Il iabors OF the nurses ia attendance arc re
| duced to the minimum.
Such is the place where the people live
4 Near by is their workshop. The manufacto
II ries cover nearly four acres of ground, and
as much of the building is several storie
| high, there must be in all ut least fifteel
acres OF floor room There are five miles o
II tramway connecting the various portions o
: the works, and fully l,2OO are constantly EN-
|. ployed. The bulk OF the business done Is tn
y manufacture Of stoves, ranges, furnaces
n CRATES and their settings, coal scuttles, an
- other domestic utensils OF cast iron. It
NJ ra,I fl,.. Nua~t fasftnty In VynrtR ia dom
: there. Perhaps 80. l have never seen an
u finer. The magnitude of the business ma
= be reckoned from the fact that there ar
v usually on hand, in stock, from 5000 20 40
= 600 stoves and cook ranges ready for shil
ment.
NJ Godin believes Ia easy hours Of laho
According to his theory, man ought not
Y work more than three or four hours ut
. stretch So he had them all go 10 work at
II In tho morning and keep at IL till o. The
j there was an hours intermission for rest an
a recuperatlon From 10 TO ! 20 they worlle
again, and then rested for an hour and
half Another stretch from 3 20 ESQ tlnishc
b the days work In all, therefore, ten hour
=, work was done But by being broken /
into three sections it fatigued the men IL
N, than eight hours continued toll would ha'
~. done Yon will understand how low wag
no are In France when | say that the ayeral
no paw OF these workmcn has not be'
~. much above <5 a week each, and y
Or they are bctter paid than the hands
most other French factories. However, the
wages do not represent all their iEcon
From the outset NJ GodiD established t
principle Of giving each workman a share
the profits OF capital proportionate 10
share In tho work OF producing those prob
The capital OF the establishment is $500, v
The annual dividend of profit TO the woI
men averages about per cent on this
= $1,000. This pays about SiUO year each
N the worknl.n who live in tho Palais Soci
for OF the 30 hands employed some 300 d
mere outsiders, who live IN the village
NJ Guise and come 10 the shops morniy for tn
ma wages, like workmen in any ordinary 4
els tory.
Nh mn For the aged and crippled there arc VA
'en Gus pension and insurance fundA There !
- pharmacy fund, by which tho sick can y
~, cure needed medicines without cost Tn
nv is no hospital connected with the establi
,ch ment, however. III. Hodin held that 1t Y
WI best for the sick To 10 attended 10 in tn
/. at own homes Neither is there any chapel
tan the premises, nor any religious instruct
M. given in tho schools NJ Godin did not
IN lieye in religion aud did his best to disco
~ age the religious sentiment among his y
Pile, although, Of course, he did not positiy
forbid ii, nor in any way attempt to coe
] the people To his own way OF thinking A