The Washington times., 1894-07-23
SUCCESSFUL SOCIALISM.
Buenos Amigos. Peru, Where the Commun.
istic Theory Is Literally Carried Out.

|
NJ. C. de yarigny, Frenchman, gives an
uncommonly interesting account of social
| istic settlement in Peru. nearly forty years in
existence, and said to be successful at least
in material ways. 1t is an extreme example
| Of state socialism, wherein the tastes and
rights of individuals are sacrificed to the
community, and even What are supposed to
be primal human sentiments are disregarded.
Don Jose Rodriguez. a socialist Peruvi an,
obtained in 1858 from the government of Peru
| a large land grant on the Cototo river and
established there with siIty-lve others the
colony of Buenos Amigos. As he furnished
most of the money for the experiment he be-
came director and lawmaker.
The colony now has / GOO members. mostly
of Spanish races. but including Germans.
English, and Americans. The increase has
been chiefly from births. though recruits are
received upon evidence Of good character
and the payment Of $500 each to the common
treasury
Negroes and Indians are excluded and re-
ligious proselytism is forbidden.
Lands. tools, and products are the property
OF the community, and all surplus products
are sold abroad, the proceeds going to the
common treasury. Rations are distributed
alike to all. but whose will pay for luxuries,
whether Of food, clothing, or household fur-
niture, may obtain them from the common
store. The imperishable portion of such
things. however, remain common property
even when in the hands OF the individual.
The community Is divided into Departments,
divisions. and sections. Each section chooses
and may remove its own head. and heads OF
sections nominats division directors. who in
turn choose department chiefs. These last
are removable only by majority vote of the
community. They are in effect ministers
of works, education. trade, and health those
being the titles Of the departments. and col
lectively they constitute tribunal discharg-
ing duties elsewhere confded to ministers Of
justice and finance.
The Department Of Works looks after agri-
culture. stock raising, mining, manufactures.
and all public works. That of education
deals with schools. music and the mechanic
arts. That OF trade with exports, imports
and the distribution of products. That OF
health with houses, hospitals and young
children.
An hours work Is the unit of the financial
system, and the monetary table runs thus:
GO minutes one hour
hours one day.
days one week.
4 2-S weeks one month.
12 months one year.
State notes of equal size but different coIors
represent each OF these denominations. The
hour is arbitrarily fixed for the purpose of
outside trade at a value OF about % cents.
Minute notes, worth about one-half a cent,
are for small transactions. These notes are
given in exchange for work done. The time
notes are guaranteed by a reserve of bullion
exceeding the face value Of the whole issue.
A member quitting the colony may ex-
change his notes for Peruvian money, and in
addition he will receive his share of the
profits.
Although the full working day is eight
hours. only four hours. and for only five days
a week. are exacted. From that no adult in
sound health can escape. Any person failing
to work twenty hours in the five days that
constitute the working week must make up
that time on Saturday or Sunday. Under the
eye OF an overseer armed with leather strap,
II this enforced labor is done in slovenly
fashion. the culprit is beaten with the strap.
There Is no marriage law. A man and a
woman live together in free union, and
either may find another mate when tired Of
the arrangement. A woman at the approach
of childbirth goes to a hospital and stays there
with her child until it is weaned. Then she
leaves It in the hospital TO the care of trained
nurses.
From the hospital the child goes to a public
school, where 1t lives night and day until
grown to the age when work is exacted of all.
Then the now member of the working COM
munity is set at whatever task his or her apti-
tudss, rs developed at school, seem to point
out as the proper one. The pay is the same
for every kind of labor.
Private houses at Buenos Amigos are plain,
but airy. A large, common building is hand
somely built OF free stone and marble taken
from the community's quarries. The streets
are well made and clean. and an aqueduct to
bring In water from the Cototo river Is nearly
completed. All these public works are carried
on by the labor Of the community. under the
direction of the departments.
When one department has more workmen
at its command than it needs they are turned
over to such departments as are short Of
hands. Thus everybody is kept busy at least
four hours day, and as much longer as he
will, with pay for overtime.
John Most would approve Of at least ono
point in this scheme Of living, the marriage
arrangement. Most, consistently enough,
considering his possessions. usually refuses to
indicate what sort of q commonwealth he ex-
poets to see established upon the ruins of
things as they are, but he has declared for
free love and the care Of children by the COM
munity.
This gets rid Of a difficulty that advocates
free love under present social conditions OF
have not been able to meet, the question OF
who shall be responsible for the children
that may come Of these easily dissolved
unions.