Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-02-04
Bellan1y Communicate COLONY
Fails Completely.
From the Toledo Blade. J

busted" community. Bellamy's dream
Looking Backward was the idea aimed at
by the little band of well-meaning visiona
rles, who, to the number CT 200, left comfort
able homes in Vancouver to wander after
strange gods in the trackless wilderness of
British Columbia
One hundred thousand dollars. or $500 each,
was the amount of cash provided to found the
city OF Bethany as it was called, and those
who did not provide money were allowed to
pay into the treasury an equivalent in time
checks in exchange for labor on public build
ings. When the social departure was fairly
lnaugurated board of commissioners was ap-
pointed to settle disputes and to teach the
doctrines of Bellamy. The colony soon num-
bered 500 men, women and children. Saw
mills, farms and trade shops were started.
AT first all the men received the same wages
Brains or skill did not count for a cent. Soon
those who shirked work lived at the expense
of the active toilers, and the colony was COM
PEELED to start scale of wages. ~
Soon after the colony was founded the
did not exist, There was no spur to ambition,
no competition. Then it was discovered that
the work done in the shops and mills was
so inferior that twas not marketable outside.
Many shareholders in the community asked
for their money, but they did not get it. Some
deserted. The common eating houses and
herding in big dwellings led to chickering's
and jealousies among the women folk. The
men took up the quarrels of the weaker sex
and every mans hand was raised against his
neighbor.
The commissioners who held the cash and
arbitrated, where overwhelmed with applica-
tions for the administration of Justice, none
tary and social. The commissioners were not
equal to the occasion and resigned in body.
No members of the community would take
their place, and there was no law, no Justice.
Members earned money outside the commu-
nifty, and on their return the members still
faithful to the tenets of Bellamy demanded
that division be made of the spoils earned
outside.
Then the shrewdest and fttest started up
the sawmills and farms again and employed
their weaker brethren for wages in defiance
of socalistic principles. The community
was drifting back into old channels. The
ambitious got the reins of power in their
hands and all went well for little while
Then creditors arrived and there was no
money to pay them. The books of the COM
munity showed a debt of 100000. 1t vas q
"busted" community.
Ruskin, B. c., Jan. 16, 1899.
Mr. D. Burgess, Edison, Wash.
Dear Sir-Your letter of 9TH inst,
was nissent and SO is Just to hand.
/ gladly accede to your request,
though to tell you all the facts would
fill small volume. So | have been
thinking of what would be the most
interesting and pertinent. There are
many things in our experience here
that all intending co-operators might
learn with advantage.
You might note the following:
/. This was organized on the CAPT
talistic basis. Members were credited
with twenty cents an hour regardless
of results and then they wondered
why home grown potatoes cost 81 80
a hundred. On this account the books
made them believe that it was more
profitable to keep men idle and buy
necessities rather than employ them
in satisfying their own needs.
2. A large shingle contract which
the Society was unable to fulfill and
which the other party knew was be-
yond the Society's capacity, threw
them into his power and he system
atically bled the concern and finally
got possession of the assets.
3. Regardless of the fact that the
old machinery could not give employ
ment to the men already in the Socie-
ty they continually advertised for
"more men" requiring no cash pay
ment and no radical views.
A. A credit of 5000 obtained by
work at $500 a day would give a
man the right to draw annually for
all eternity Tor as long as the Society
could stand) the sum of 500 in
dividends.
3. Every man who walked up the
railroad track was taken on and so
when the promoters saw where the
former policy was leading and sought
to change the business to a Socialistic
colony the required three-tourths of
the signatures of the members could
not be got and an assignment was
forced through in disgust
6. The name Ruskin, given to the
postothce, was an evident counterfeit
of Ruskin, Tenn, and was the cause
of some men, including myself. coming
from the east.
7. The lumber business in this pro-