Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1901-11-01

showing before spring, when the ma
tlonal board was to come from the
east with large printing outfit and
thousands of dollars in cash to help
develop Equality's natural resources
and establish other colonies through
out the Sound country.
Spring came and with it the nation
al board, but, somehow, the cash
tailed to materialize; though a worn
out printing outfit was shipped here
and S400 freight paid on it, but the
press was never set up.
Soon after he arrived COmrade Ler-
mond purchased printing outfit in
Seattle, paying $780, and the first
copy of Industrial Freedom was is
sued May 7, 1898.
During the summer of '9Snearly 200
members joined Equality. Some were
very practical, useful members, others
were very idealistic, useless members;
all were good people and their inte11-
lions were of the best, but not having
had experience in pioneering and al
ways having worked tor capitalist
masters who had unlimited capital to
furnish all necessary machinery for
production they hesitated to assume
the responsibility that would natur-
ally rest on them and so gave up the
fight and went back to the "fesh pots
OF Egypt"
Small lots of cultivated land were
rented at various places the first sum-
mer and planted to vegetables which
helped to support the resident men,
bers during the winter OF 1889 and
the process of clearing land went on
rapidly.
George Savage, of this county, brot
his portable sawmill, set it up, and,
Wita RS ialliy stet - d-si-, iir7z ( NJ
the expiration of that time he con-
cluded that Equality life did not suit
him and left, and his labor and the
use OF the mill for the six months were
donated to the colony.
Several hundred thousand feet of
lumber were cut by this little mill and
was used as fast as cut. Two large
apartment buildings were erected the
first summer, also a large barn and
several smaller buildings. About 40
acres of land were slashed, consider
able dtching done and several acres
of land put in condition for planting.
The national executive board of the
3. c. c. was at Edison, some two
miles southwest of Equality, collect
ing and disbursing the monies of that
organization and had ideas OF estab-
fishing new colonies, regardless of the
fact that the dues and donations were
= va al
ready started. 1t became necessary
for the members of Equality, toinsure
the continuance of its existence, to
protest against the use of any OF the
funds towards starting new colonies
until Equality was somewhere near
self supporting. This protest, after a
number OF intensely interesting meet
ings between the colony members and
the national board, resulted i'll the
complete autonomy of Equality and
a division of the funds of the b. {. c.
When the government of Equality
was thus taken from their hands the
national board resigned, one by one,
and members OF Equality were APP
pointed to fill their places. On ac-
count of the Misrepresentation of the
colony to outside members of the b.
{. c., the membership in our national
organization rapidly dropped from
$500 to $50 or 800. The national
headquarters were moved to Equality
and occupy a large building built for
the purpose.
4 machinery fund was established
about this time, contributions called
for, and nearly $1,000 resulted. With
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