The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-08

, THE SOCIAL PALACE"
six years Of age the school receives II. All this
IL absolutely free. The society foots all the
bills. 1t sees its wards through school. an
through college and the technical schools "
they develop special aptne.s, without one cent
of the expense falling upon the parent.
here the institutional side OF the community
as distinguished from the industrial side. the
pension and insurance features challenge at
%tention. They do not rest on the same basis.
The pensioninR of old workingmen and the
guaranteeing ola minimum subsistence to
the nature of their right TO be paid tor their
work while they are able to 10 II. Their
t tSs tpnssi ~ i: 1 mst sSse !,s 9Pss f parrSen upon on
against sickness and accident is effected, on
members and employees into mutual aid So
cieties that are supported by dues If these
to insu. 20 the operation of the societies. and
Thus. to the Mutual Aid Society for the in
tenant of the familisteres pays one ALI of
one per cent. OF his or her wages. and every
are enrolled. and payment is obligatory. The
society provides medical aid. 1t is i%nstruc-
iii societies H%u of this this kind was proof siS even isG against st
NJ. Godin's shire Nd planning, Tho insurance
societies DO not flourish. n" difficulty being
IL III piiN hht ~ WV Z
naming practically stationary. the outgo in
crsases as the members and the scheme grow
older together.
The profits apporticned to the wages of the
nuIiiiSries IN the annual reckoning are paid
some extent have a claim. THE and an amount
from the gross profits equalltng, two per cent.
upon the wages OF all the members Of the so.
ctety constitute the revenues Of this fund.
The scale of pensions after fifteen years. SER
vice is fixed at two.ffths of their wages for
at one-third. Foo the o hers the pensions are
upon a sliding scale, according to their length
counts at one half. 4 retiring member loses
his right to a pension.
The minimum subsistence Is fixed on n per
diem schedule reaching from 8 cents for n
baby OF two years to 4S cents for a man or wo.
man. This rate is guaranteed BY the society.
tain It. the deficiency is paid from tho fund.
When a member Is pensioned. he ceases to hold
membership in the sick benefit society. the
pension being considered as taking its place.
The educational scheme has been mentioned.
It ranks high in the %socicty's plan. The
competent and well paid. Not less than a5,-
900 francs can be expended upon them in any
one year. and. as much more as may be needed.
The point and purpose Of 1t all is that the So
ciety gets the little ones into its keeping be-
fore they have barely, begun TO think, and
m0ulds them a. it's will and In 4 body,
The three familisteres at Guise contain to.
Eether 495 apar5ments, with a total Of 1921
f IRS social ihS pa inate S'snSS as alone %h'G ao5 sAS aps sSll
nents, the rule being two rooms to a HAT. The
courts OF the large building are rooted over
with glass. The staIrwavs are SET In the cor.
ners. and reach balconies on the court side,
upon which the doors open. Gar len lots are
rented to tenants at from - TO OF cents a
privilege is highly priced. Between 500 and
600 members are thus enabled to raise their
own vegetables. There is . library of 5000
volumes. and the members have musical. ath-
letic, fencing, archery. and shooting societies
the laundry building, to which all ". shing is
banished, there Is a swimming pool and bath.
The fsmilisterei are aITays hiled; and there Is
TACT that it is binding upon the members OF Tho
first two classes to live in them. The rents are
liked according to location. and range for a
twO-story fiat from 81. 10 In the first story to
S .ls.in the second. The custom was former
y to auction the rooms of 70 the highest bid
gance. on the part of members. Their wives
probably made them offer more for the
are now apportioned in the order Of the de:
hand made for them. upon endorsement of
the application by the managing council.
After all has been said for them that can he.
the familisteres upon which NJ. Godin based
his chief hope are still, the one charge that
can be. and often has been, brought against
his scheme. Statistics OF mortality tell MS
nothing of the moral and psycnoloei cal eff
fects upon their Inhabitants; Unon this point
Mr.. Willonghby says simply that IL can DO
assorted Without hesitation that they are the
to the system. though NJ. Godtn himself held
70 the contrary. A competent scientist who,
VI lOuls ODScTNfu neHn. pun on GfNOTu MS
opinion in this language. which might. with
variations, be applied to tenement llfe the
world over:
Attempt to FIX tho impression which This
collection Of institutions engendcrs. In spite
OF tn" prosperity that is. visible everywhere
among the workinGmen who live in the famil-
istere, In spite cf the comfortable and ingeni-
GUS arrangement that can be remarked even
in the smallest details, that which the vlsi tor
carries AWAY - an impression Of sadness, Of
oppression. The familistere Is n superb bar
rack, but yet IA barGack. IL is an ideal con-
AAlf mn AHnwAlnIN nlAa mt m pa q ~ Ian m
formity. a lax OF freedom, OF Independence,
the sensation of an inhcxiblo rule bringing
everything to a level, impresses you gradually
with sadness. The walls seem imlregnated
with ennui." SO that there is a seamy side
also 10 thus Utopia.
A community like that of Guise would he
Incomplete, of course. without its system of CO.
operative distribution. There is one in the
shape OF a general store, bakery and chdrcl-
terie ,nor tho preparation OF hog products.
which service forms n distinct branch OF the
general plan. The bakery turns ont from
l,5OO 10 100 pounds OF bread O day, the prico
being regulated by the minimum price charged
by the village bakers. The service employs
more than hlty hands. and came into exist
ence WIN, the Organization or the society.
We are told that IL has not cea 'ed to pros
per since The fact that all goods must be
paid for in cash may, In a measure, account
for this. The middlenlan Is eliminated from
is dealings, but not the stranger; Rank out
siders may deal at the stores and participate
In the profits. which are kept apart from the
general fund. The sales-statis'ics point, In
the steady advance In the amount purchased
welfare OF the members as well a. To a reader
appreciation of the advantage of cooperation
also on this score,
There is a suggestive contrast between this
operation in America by DR.. Edward w. BE-
mis- In the sam publication. His article Is