Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-09-03
Benefits of Cooperation.

lest TO the ueHlIcuS VI GduoiiIy IL
the UNNECESSARILY greater benefits
resulting therefrom than from an
equal amount of exertion and expense
in individual life.
1t is the experience of the writer,
corroborated by the testimony OF all
the other colonists with whom he has
come in contact, and fortified by the
figures to that effect, that nowhere
in the United States can as much be
gotten out of a $3.50 investment as
right here in Equality.
To specify, illustrate and compare
with the outside: A takes his Sl6O,
starts out pioneering on his own
hook, buys enough land to support
small family, and has nothing left; or
very little. Then he has to get odt
and rustic for grubstake or learn to
live on air.
B on the other hand comes to
Equality, invests $3.50 in a member
ship therein, gets Il home from the
| first moment IF, his arrival, has an,
equal interest in all the land, ma
chinery, stock, crops, etc, has shell
ter, food, medicine and medical at
tendance from The colony physician,
schooling for his children, heating,
| lighting, recreations. such as dances,
literary and musical entertainments,
excursions and picnics by wagon and
boat, together with reading matter,
writing materials, barbering, laundry
work, mending of both footgear and
clothing, and in case it is necessary
free nursing from his or her COM
rades in the colony. All this coming
to him out of the common fund, and
in addition to this an allowance of 80
cents per week to each adult and
smaller one to each child for the pur-
chase of such articles as are not pro-
vided by the colony in the common
fund.
| All of this for an investment of
$3.50, together with the labor of the
investor. This is not quite all either.
In case member needs a new gar
ment or a pair of shoes, he only
has to pay for the raw material, the
making up being done by our own
shoemaking or tailoring department
free of cost.
And yet depite all this we have ac-
tually had visit us outsiders in hui
man form, who stated that they
would like to join a colony, but OBJ
| jected to Equality because they could
not be provided with individual houses
with kitchen and dining rooms, and
one or two went so far as to demand
their own individual garden, COW,
poultry, etc,
Great Caesars ghost. did these peo-
pie ever hear of or use figures "lit-
tie bit?" Guess not. If they had
they would realize what an insignif-
cant sum of money is Sl6O when a fell
low starts in to build a home and
bring up family on SAID amount in
dividually.
The greatest wonder of the day at
Equality is how in thunder do we get
so much out of so little?
But here is the secret. In addition
to what we gain through cooperative
methods, we live in plain houses. eat
plain food, wear plain clothes and
don't booze at all. Rent is knocked
out as are water and gas bills. and
everybody is at work. Although but
a few months on the ground a large
proportion of our sustenance is de-
rived from our own products, and
there is fixed determination on the
part of the Equalityites not to prove
recreant to the trust reposed in us by
our reserve comrades, but to go ahead
and build homes for them lust as we
promised to do, no matter how great
the obstacles.
1t is the unanimous sentiment at
Equality that every cent contributed
by the reserves should be applied to
the real object for which this associa-
ton was organized the work of
building homes for the homeless.
Comrades, theoretical work must be
superseded by practical. The best
propaganda work on Gods earth is
such as clearing land. digging bitches,
putting up shelter and machinery.
etc. Talking and writing will never
do this, but muscle and elbow grease
can and will, and don't you forget it.
Labor shall rule this world. lots of
of it of the hardest kind has to be
done at Equality for some time to
come. And again, we advise all our
comrades who are unprepared either
mentally or physically to tackle a
full grown pioneer proposition TO de-
fer their coming until the rough has
been worn of by the advance guard
of mudsills.
MEMBER OF EQUALITY COLONY.
We don't wonder a re,,ublic,,, ,.S,,