El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-04
RUSKIN SOCIALISTS LIVE CHEAP
II Costs Each One Nine Cents Day.
and They Have Plenty To Eat.

II Costs Each One Nine Cents a Day.
and They Have Plenty To Eat.
What is the lowest possible daily
cost of food for an adult man in the
I lited States? This is the question
that is receiving a great deal of atten-
ton from scholars and economists
throughout the land. President Har
per- of the University of Chicago, is of
the opinion that three square meals
day can be had at the cost of 10 cents.
1t may be we'll to note, howver, that
the meinent gentleman has not suf-
ficient faith in his theory to put it to
a practical test. Many students are
discussing the subject and advance
some beautiful theories. Professor
Harrison. of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, reports that the students of that
institution are we'll fed at a cost of so
cents day head. William A. Moore.
of Chicago, says he has bee nliving on
81 a week for the last five years. which
is just IA 2-7 cents day. Edward At
kinson has theoretically demonstrated
that, with scientific cook, persons can
serve a god meal at cents head. or
Is cents a day.
While these people have been theor-
izing the Ruskinites have demonstrated
by an actual experience the lowest pos
sible daily cost for food for their en-
tire community. This cost is so low as
to be almost beyond belief Before
proceeding further. 1 will state that the
Ruskinites are socialists. living six
miles southwest of Waycross. The col
opy settled at Duke in Ware county
just one year ago. and numbers up
ward of 800 souls The believe firmly
in the doctrine that society should be
reorganized by regulating property, in
duStry and the sources of livelihood.
They also believe in com nunity of
property and the negotiation of individ-
ual rights in that property.
The colonists have given much time
and study to economic questions. and
have solved the riddle how to live at
the lowest cost. When forced to leave
their Tennessee home the coloniStS
were hard pushed. but they possessed
stout hearts and willing hands, and to-
day are on a fair road to prosperity.
They live. and live we'll. at an actual
cost per capita of less than 10 cents
day.
Everything they consume is bought
by wholesale in large quantities. and
is cooked in the community kitchen.
In the community dining room tables
are set for three hundred people.
Those who do not wish to eat with the
crowd are given the privilege of pur-
chasing company stores and cooking 1T
at home. Whe vegetables are scarce
these people are allowed cents a day
that is cents day for each person,
big. little. old. young. sick. or well.
When vegetables are plentiful the cash
allowance is only cents. As the COM
munity raises its own vegetables the
approximate cost of living at RuSkin
from to cents a day for each man.
woman and child.
Let us go into the community din
ing room and see how they live. We
go at the invitation of Prof. Denny, an
eminet socialist speaker and scholar.
In a large room, 20 fet wide and $50
feet long. we see nearly 800 men,
women. and children seated at long
tables. Breakfast is our first meal.
1t is we'll prepared. savory, and dainti-
ly served. We make a wholesome meal
on light bread. furnished by the colo
ny baker. butter, Georgia syrup, oat-
meal, Irish potatoes. milk. cereal elf
fee and sugar. Sometimes we have
fried mush with fruits and jellies.
Our dinner generally varies accord
ing to the season. Meat only comes to
the table twice week. The bill of
fare usually consists of rice or peas.
beans or macaroni. some two or more
of these, Georgia Syrup. beets. toma-
toes, egg plants, potatoes. soup. bread
and cereal coffee-cereal coffee is man. ,
ufactured by the colonists. and is one
of their main industries.
For supper, cheese in some form,
lemonade. cake. rice or beans. sugar.
srits. mush, fried potatoes. cold tea
and bread. The person visiting Rus
kin and taking his meals in the COM
dining room will have the
above bill of are placed before him.
with slight variations. He will find
that it is not only possible. but prac- |
ticable. for people to live at a cost of
from ITO 9 cents a day per capita. |
1t is wholesome. satisfying and we'll |
prepared. OF course there are no little |
delicacies except for the sick. There |
is no wine. simply a meal that will |
stick to the ribs" and possessing suf- |
ficient nutrition to enable the people to |
do the hardest kind of work. AS will |
be noticed. the colonists only get meat |
twice week. They will do better on |
this line after a while. when they get |
a start at stock raising. and then the |
per capita will probably be reduced to !
even less than cents a day.
DR. j. III. Parsons. Dentist. room IL |