The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-13
EDISON COLONY DEFENDED.
A Correspondent Replies 10 Recent
Criticisms

NJ
Of my Statement. contained in a comniuni-
caticn concerning the operations OF the
socialist colony at Edison. which You pub
7ished On May Il. beg your Indulgence
for reply.
Mr.. Aver states that he visited the colony
since I was there and Processes 20 have
discovered many inaccuracies in my conf
munieation and wonders hox / could have
been 50 grossly deceived or so blinded 20
the real condition OF affairs existing AT
she colony. But 10 my mind his greatest
discovery was mares nest and will
endeavor n show how he did 1t.
In my letter I stated that Of the rs
acres purchased by and donated TO the
brotherhood most OF it had yet 20 be
cleared. bat that enough improved lanj
in its neighborhood had been leased where
on 20 grow large crops this year. viz.
eighty acres OF oats. sixty acres or hay.
fifteen acres OF vegetables ana roots and
5o.oco head OF cabbage; also. that they
had a nursery containing 25,ee one year
old fruit trees. 15.ooo berry bushes. and a
large assortment OF rose bushes. etc Over
looking the fact that 1 expressly stated
that improved land had been leased. he
proceeds 20 deal me what he probably
thought would prove 20 be a solar plexus
blow. in the following fashion: Mr.
Whiteslde's statement regarding what the
colony Will realize from this land would
ly serious side to the question which he
does not show the least sign OF conSid-
ering or understanding. Regarding tina
sixty acres of marsh land ii must be sup
posed he expects to raise the sixty acres
of hay on, It Is now covered with Il dense
mass of alder brush. a long dyke must
be built to keep off the tide water and an
immense amount OF ditching done 10 drain
the land. In fact two or three years must
elapse before that hay VIII grow. His
eighty acres OF oats, fifteen acres of vege-
tables and roots, Jo,o0 heads OF cabbage
and the nursery containing 40.o1 or oAWo
trees, bushes. etc, must materiaiize cut
of that land that new Is covered with I'M
meclse stumps, an incalcuiahle amount OF
standing and fallen timber and bushes, all
Of which must be destroyed. Not one
square foot OF this land is ready for cul-
tivation at this writing so the reader can
Judge OF the truth OF Mr.. Whiteslde's
statements"
From the foregoing II appears that Mr..
Aver did not visit the nursery or the
cleared land district only a few hundred
yards from the colony buildings at Equal
ity. If he had he would have seen several
acres OF very fertile land belonging to the
brotherhood, which was cleared by them
since last December, containing the nur-
sery OF fruit trees, berry bushes. etc,
the balance To be planted this year III
vegetables and root crops. Mr.. Eichoity,
nurseryman in charge, gave me the figures
! stated, which / made note OF at the
time. saying that the leased land was ex-
pected TO grow the oats, hay and potatoes
mentioned. Next year it will probably not
be necessary to rent any land as Mr..
Lermond. national secretary, writes me-
that two hundred acres Of their land would
be cleared this year and made ready for
crops next year. This is not at all i'm
,l,a1sf ], ion
OF their land they are now engaged in
clearing is covered. principally. with small
alder trees. the Stumps of which are easily
removed with a stump puiler This land
Is over two miles from the sea at high
tide and cannot understand why It should
need dyking, as Mr.. Aver states. 1t will,
however, need some draining.
That Mr.. Aver is evidently very pref
udiced observer is apparent by the way
he juggles with figures In his attempt to
make out a case. He says: MIR. White
side states that the present weekly income
from the reserves ranges from $500 to
sSa.' and no tries to show the absurdity
or my position by stating that the pub
llshed statement OF monthly dues received
for eleven days ending April 23 1898. in
Guiding that received from both unions
and members at large is $3.50" Now
what are the facts? I have before me. a
copy OF the national secretary's report for
the week ending May 20 1885, and publish
ed In the Industrial Freedom under date
OF May =, showing receipts for the
week, or previous seven days. to have
been s3Oi.o5. instead Of $3.50 for the eleven
days preceding May .. as Mr.. Aver states
1t. Some one has observed that figures
cannot lie" but that must have been be-
fore Mr.. Aver learned how to manipulate
them. AS further evidence that l was not
very far wrong in my estimates. / refer
n 10 .tfelxn
national secretary. being for the week end
Ing June ?, as 1t appears In the Industrial
Freedom" OF the 18th inst, showing re-
ceipts for the week TO have been $3.50 The
national treasurer's report for the month
ending May 81, shows total receipts to have
been s.ISl.Sl, or an average of s4o4.59 per
week. This. TO be sure, Ia not a large
amount for the number OF people there but
expenditures Will probably not be as
large. p-oportionateiy, for the balance OF
the year as for the past five months for
in addition were all food supplies. hardware
for buildings. payment Of $1,000 for print
ing press and 81. 200 on land besides other
expenditures for May which cut deeply
into their funds; but If their weekly re-
ce!pts continue in the future anywhere
near like they have been in the past. there
Is good reason 10 believe that there will
be sufficient TO meet all demands on q
cash basis besides creating an ever in
CreaS-ng caSn surplus on hand, by the prac-
tice of such economy in the future as they
are now doing, until a good income is
assured from their own products
1t is quite plain that Mr.. Aver sought
To discover oil the weak points he pos
sibly could in this movement and was en-
tiTvly color blind to the good ones. He
states that he went there AT the urgent
request Of friends contemplating joining
the brotherhood" and that he Is 'impeiied
in the interests Of humanity To criticise
d." AS a humanitarian and expert his
report should have been unbiased in iss
nature Instead IL is more like the plea Of
a pettifogiag attorney whose rule Of con-
duct in conducting a case, where he has
no evidence TO offer that will benefit his
client. IS ~ substitute for argument abuse
az the lawyer on the other side. In add
ton % accusing the writer Of being 80
grossly foolish as 70 state that n hundred
and fifty acres or more OF crops would he
grown this year from land then covered
with Immense Stumps. an sncaiculahls
amount Of standing and fallen timber and
bushes. all Of which must be DESTROYED