The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-02

panicS. nor strikes. nor labor agitatOrs,
s nor "bloated bondholders." A country
where there is no over production" and
! no unemployer. ne Idle rich or 'aeserv-
ing poor"
This model republic is no experiment
no colony scheme born OF the brain OF a
social reformer. but has existed Tor over
/ three hundred years.
Within a few hours ride Of Toxic the
japanese capital. there thrives q little
( community who live and work in iRdif-
( ference TO wars and rumors OF war
( Happily unconscious of the growing i'm
! pertance Of Japan in the world, OF Of the
! changes taking place. they live free from
/ want or the fear of want content TO re-
+ main stiIl while the remainder o. the race
! is moving on.
An Elysium Of the Eastern Sea" {" this
/ republic has been called, and the title
! seems appropriate. 1t is situated on the
+ island Of Hashima, off the coast Of Ata-
MI ten miles from the watering-plaoe Of
that name. The society folk who fire.
quent Atami probably have no idea of
their proximity to a place where people
/ can get along without 100 to dictate
+ fashions.
Hashima is a very small island. which
i viii account in part Off its uninterrEpt-
F ed success. Not quite two miles long
and one mile wide, it hardly provides
room for such luxuries as the capitalist
and agitator. The climate is warm and
soft, and with the scenery is in harmony
with the conditions OF the inhabitants.
Even in the coolest winter hyacinths and
azaleas in bloom can be seen dotting the
the miniature hills.
Visitors to Hashima are rare, but those
who enter the island are greeted cor
daily. The islanders viii point hever-
emily to an old temple, named Tenmyoji.
established by Bishop Tenhaku, 10 whom
belongs the honor OF founding the repub-
lie over three centuries ago. AT about
the same time that Sir Thomas Moore
was inditng Utopia" Bishop Henkaku
was framing the laws that have governed
Hashirna ever since.
The Bishops laws have withstood the
wear and tear OF time. They are based
upon one fundamental idea-the common
ownership Of property. In Hasima there
is no private property in land or the in
struments Of labor. The property is own
ed and enjoyed IN common.
No single person owns property. but all
the members Of the community possess
an equal share. Every one receives In
come and is permitted to enjoy it. All
receive the fun results of their labor, to
gether with what nature gratuitously can
fers upon them. As result, Hashima
has no rich and there never were any
poor. There is no competition and no
strife. There is no hatred. no enmity, no
Jealousy. All are brothers and sisters
and live in equally. Liberty and frater-
nifty are not abstract theories but facts.
No inhabitant of Hashima ever knew
what slavery or selfshness means. What
is yet vague dream to millions is real
ized in this communistic state.
The laws Of Hashima are simple. There
should not be more than forty-one houses,
no matter haw the population may in
crease. There are eighty acres of cult-
waited land, divided into equal portions Of
fOrty-one pieces. There is no rice field
but potatoes and rich vegetables are rails
ed. with millet and other grains that
grow on dry land.
The produce is divided equally accord
ing TO the individual needs and the sur
plus is exported in exchange for rice.
The alotbents of imported rice is re-
served for festaI occasions, such as the
first day of the new year. or the 18th of
July, which is the date of the commem-
Grafton Of the foundation Of the republic
II necessary, a marriage, birth. death or
some other celebration is used for the al
lotment. The rice is stored in common
granary.
Farming, however, is only incidental to
the more important industry Of fishing.
The men are all fishermen and own
eleven boats in common. From this
source products OF the sea are secured
which are estimated TO bring in 3.oo0 yen
every year. This sum is divided among
the forty-one homes without discrimina-
tion against any one.
When one of the forty-one homes meets
misfortune or accident the sufferers are
taken care of by the republic. A man
capable Of doing so is, in case Of misfor-
tune. sometimes charged. by special auth
ority. with the duty of taking charge OF
q store, out Of which he is permitted TO
make a good profit until he has recover
ed. Then he has to make room for some
other unfortunate. There are two stores
owned by the people, one for the sole OF
liquors and the other for the sale OF
coarse wares. These are manufactured
on the island The people are temperate
drunksrds are an unknown quantity
The children Of the island are educated
at "a grammar school. which is usually in
charge Of a teacher from Amishiro. the
nearest village on the opposite coast. The
teacher receives his salary chiefly IN rice
from the common granary, and his cloth
es are woven and made by the young wo-
men in turn.
Hashima probably enjoys the distnc-
ton Of being the only place in the world
where communism IS IN operation. al
though the Hashlmians probably could
rot explain what IS meant by communism
or any other sociological term Thanks
TO the wisdom of Bishop Tenkaku and
their own application. they have solved
the industrial problem. that vexel ques-
lion whose ramidcatious extend through
out the civilized world.
MET ON SAN JUAN HILL.