The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-19
B B.llamy'sm in pract &C.

central Tennessee, has contributed to
thpt pauer an interesting review of
his observations. The colony was
founded three years ago with the pur-
r1se of working out the theory of econ
omc equality propounded by Edward
Ecllamy. 1t chose 800 acres of fer
tile valley land remote from a railroad
and from a mere handful of members
at the beginning has grown to a MEM
bership of 220. The Sun correspondent
gives this picture of it's inner work.
ings:
THE rules governing the colony leave
undsturbed the family relations. re-
ligious worship, and ordinary habits of
life, and relate only to property and
labor. All real estate and all industrial
enterprises are the common property of
all, subject to the general management
Of an executive board elected yearly
by the vote of all shareholders. Every
head of family, on admission to the
colony, contributes $500 to the common
capital, which makes him a share
holder under legal organization of the
colony and an equal owner with every
other member of all property of the
colony. Every able-bodied person, man
or woman, is obliged to work, and to
work at anything that may be assigned
by the Executive Board. Women who
have large families are, at the dscre-
tion of the managers, exempt from
work other than the care of their child
rem, and sick persons enjoy undimin-
ished rights during the period of dis
ability. In the assignment of labor
the members are put to work on the
lines for which their training and abil-
ity promise the best results, but no
difference in the value of one PERSONS s
time from that of another is recog-
nized, the theory being the absolute
equality of value of the labor of all
persons. For example, the editor Of
the paper, the physician, the teamster
and the shOveler of sawdust in the MILL
all work on equal terms.
Every family is provided at the
common expense with a dwelling
house, food rations, or a maintenance
fee for purchasing food, medical at
tendance, medicines and fuel. Cloth
ing and pin money purchases are OBJ
tainable at the colony store by the eX-
change Of certificate of performed la
Dor (an hours labor being the unit,
which is handed out every week to
those who earn it and also to those
who have been too i'll to work. This
certificate is the only medium of ex-
change used within the colony, money
being an unnecessary element. The GER
store is 50 adjusted as to deliver the
goods without profit, thus effecting the
remarkable situation Of checks passing
al greater purchasing value than gold
coin. The colony has a successful saw
mill and grist mill, and is building up
ture of suspenders, and also of a health
coffee made of wheat. Some farming
is done, and there is an opportunity
for more, but there are few farmers
among the c0lonists. In it's dealings
with the outside world the colony
tive system, and is obliged to be a
close buyer and a competing seller;
but within the colony the competitive
system is eliminated as absolutely as
i'm the world pictured in Bellamy's S
book. SO long as one performs the as
signed labor there is no fear of getting
out Of a job, and illness brings no
terrors in the way of loss of necessary
comforts or supplies"
In case a man becomes lazy his re-
fu&al to work is charged on the books
against him, at a certain sum per
hour, and when the mans debt to the
colony equals the $500 which he orig
inally invested in it he is expelled Con-
cerning the social aspects of the eX-
pertinent the correspondent writes: 1T
is Il community of busy workers, en-
COuraged by an unwavering belief In
the practical working qualities of theiI
system, They have cheerful faces, and
in private many of them express theil
satisfaction with the progress of the
| colony while in several days spent
among them not one was found by the
/ writer who regretted his connection
with the association. They are not yet
much ahead i'm resources, and are
4 obliged to live in cheap cottages anC
on simple fare. But nobody is in want
/ of necessarles, and their property is ad
| VanCing in value. They have a gooC
/ school, where painting and music a.
! -,
/ taught In the way of amusementl
they have many outdoor froliCs, and il
assembly room furnishes them oppor
tunity for frequent plays, concerts, anC
dancing parties. While the purpose o
the founders of the colony was to leav,
undisturbed the religious inclinations o
the people, il is a noteworthy fact tina
strong atheistic tendency has deyel
| oped and become the prevailing senti
ment. No church has been established
nor is one likely to be. Whether thi
feature of the colony is a result of tn
system may be a matter of doubt, bu
the colony certainly discourages re
ligious worship by making no provis
ion for the erection of churches and tn
support of clergymen, and without tn
aid Of the colony as a whole no churcl
could, under existing conditions, fin,
means within the colony on which t
keep going"
The absence of the religious elemen
obviously is a fatal omission It is al
established truth proved by all histor,
that a society without religion is a so
ciety on the downward way TO dissoIu
tion. Possibly with this omission cor