Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-08-27
Partial Cooperation.


of the colony and work by himself?
Can he exchange his own products
for others at the colony store?
Can he work part of the time on his
own hired land and part of the time for
the brotherhood?
Some people prefer to work under
the direction of another, and so have no
bother or responsibility of planning
their work
Some like to do their own planning.
be it ever so poorly.
Some would supplement and aid their
own plans by working under boss"
Can your colony rules accommodate
each of these classes? If so, such elias
ITCHY would shake off the argument
that public cooperation makes the
citizen slave to the public.
Under the present system there are
public emergencies WAR when if there
are not enough volunteers for the pub
lie service then there is draft. But
morally the citizen is left free-to work
if he can get it, or starve.
So in case of a colony, there may be
economic emergencies. like commencing
a new colony on insufficient capital
when the right is claimed to draft all
the workers into the public service I'M
der public officers. But is that to be
the normal condition, or the excep-
tional one?
Is the socialist commonwealth to de-
pend on the superior economy. eff
cheney and desirability of public SER
vice to manage its works? Or is it to
depend on the force of law to drag the
small farmer from his garden patch.
the fisherman from his boat. the me-
chanic from his shop?
Judging from the eager rush for pub
lie employment,-from digging in the
streets to boarding in the "White
House. lit would seem that the CO.
operative commonwealth, having guar
anteed everyone the product of their
labor, and an opportunity to labor for
the product, might leave it optional
with each one to work all by his lone
some, or to work with the public.
We know that majority, or at least
a large minority of the workers have to
do their work comparatively now, and
under orders of bosses. The shop, fac
tory. store, telegraph, telephone and
railroad employees, MUST work under
bosses now, under any system of gov
eminent. Please answer in Industrial
Freedom. Yours truly,
DAVID w. PHIPPS,
1907 First Ave-,
Seattle, Wash.
I'VE receive many letters like the
above from Bro. Phipps. We are glad
for such letters show that socialists are
thinking-and thinking always counts.
We believe there is at present no way
of accommodating those who wish to
work their land privately.
For the sake of attracting as many
reformers as possible to our state, we
hope that Equality or some other colony,
will arrange to lease lots , to 10 acres
to such persons as wish to "plan for
themselves.
Doubtless they will all be ready to
work comparatively sometime, but for
the present, when so many very excel
lent people are turning to socialism,
there ought to be way of gathering
them in communities where progressive
cooperation will lead them at last 10
absolute socialism. If, for instance,
within short distance of Equality
there We're 1000 co-operators on 10 acre
tracts. there would be more trading at
the colony store, a better outlook for
carrying the county and so of sending a
representative to the legislature.
We are now ready for all colonists
who wish TO cooperate in everything.
win it not be well to arrange for those
who are ready to cooperate only in part.
Let us hear from the reserves as well
as from the colonists. Our friends at
Lake Bay allow member acres. Why
not 10 acres or whatever amount man
can use?-Editor Industrial Freedom.