The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-26
LESS THAN TEN CENTS A DAY
IS WHAT IT CosTs THE RUsKINITEs
TO LIVE.

~ IL
They Are People From Tennessee
and Have Formed Colony in
ware County, Georsia-Nha They
Have at the Different Meals.
Wholesome Food at the Lowest
Cost Meat Only Twice Week.
But VIII soon Have Ii Oftener.
The Problem of Cheap Living
Solved.
WaycroSs, Ga, Aug. 25.-What is the
lowest possible daily cost of food for an
adult man in the United States? This
is a question that is receiving a great
deal of attention from scholars and econo-
mists throughout the land. President
Harper OF the University of Chicago is
of the opinion that three square meals
day can be had al a cost of Is cents. 1t
may be well to note, however. chat the
eminent gentleman has not sufficient
faith in his theory to put it TO a practical
test. Many students are discussing the
subject, and advance some beautiful che
cries. Prof. Harrison OF the University
of Pennsylvania reports that the students
of that institution are well-fed at a cost
of 80 cents a day per head. William \.
Morse of Chicago says he has been living
on 81 per week for the past five years
which is just Il and 81 cents per day.
Edward Atkinson has theoretically dem
onstrated that with scientific cooking, ten
persons can be served a good meal a.
cents per head or 10 cents a day.
While these people have been theoriz!ng
the Ruskinites have demonstrated by
actual experience the lowest possible daily
cost for food for their entire community
This cost is so low as to be almost be-
yond belief Before proceeding further
l will state that the Rusk.nites are So
cialists, living six miles southwest of
Waycross. The colony settled at Duke.
in Ware county. just one year ago, and
numbers upwards of 800 souls. They be-
lieve firmly in the doctrine that society
should be reorganized by regulating prop
erty, industry and the sources of liveli-
hood. They also believe in community
of property, and the negation 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 low
est cost. When forced to leave their
Tennessee home the. colonsts were hard
pushed. But they possessed stout hearts
and willing hands and to-day are on
fair road TO prosperity. They live, and
live we'll, at an actual cost per capita OF
less than 10 cents a day
Everything they consume is bought at
Wholesale in large quantities, and Is
cooked in the community kitchen. In the
community dining room tables are set
for 800 people. Those who do not wish
10 eat with the crowd are given the priv
ilege of purchasing company stores and
a
scarce these people ere allowed seven
cents per capita per day. that is, seven
cents for each person, big, little, old,
young sick or we'll When vegetables are
plentiful the cash allowance is only hVe
cents. As the community raises its own
vegetables. the approximate cost Is only
about two cents per capita per day, max
ing the actual cost of living at Ruskin
from seven to nine cents per day for eaoh
man, woman and child.
Let us 90 into the community dining
room and see how they live. We go at
the invitation Of Prof Denny, an eminent
socialist speaker and scholar. In a large
room. twenty feet wide and 80 feet long,
we see nearly 800 men, women and chill
dren seated at long tables Breakfast is
our first meal. 1t is well prepared. saw
DRY and daintily served. We make
wholesome meal on light bread furnished
by the colony baker. butter. Georgia sy-
rup, oatmeal Irish potatoes. milk,
cereal coffee sugar. This meal is va
ried Sometimes we have fried mush,
with fruits and jellies.
Our dinner glnerally varies, according
to the season. Meat only comes to the
table twice a week. The bill Of fare US
ually consists of rice, or peas, beans or
naccaroni some two or more of these,
Georgia syrup, bee.s, tomatoes, egg
pants. potatoes, soup, bread, cereal cof-
fee-cereal coffee is manufact ured by the
colon SITS and is enc of their main indus
tries
For supper. cheese in some form, lem
ona6e, cake, rice or b ans, sugar, grits,
mush. fried potatoes, celia tea, bread Thu
prison visiting Ruskin and taking his
meals in the community diT irg room, Will
have the above bll OF fare placed before
h IN, with slight variations. He will find
tNat 1t is MT only possible, but practica-
lie, for people to live at a cost of flom
I to cents a cay per carita. 1t is not
merely existing, but thu inca s are whole
S me. satisfying and well prepared OF
ccurse there are no lie del aces, eV-
cept for the sick. There is no wine sim
ply a meal that will stick to the ribs"
and p- ssessing sufficient nut,iticn to en-
able the people to do the hardest kind
of work AS will be noticed, h, colonists
only get meat twice q week. They will
DO better on this line after a while when
they get a start az stock raisng. and
then the per capita will probably be re-
duced TO even less than cents per day.