Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-07-28
HOME COLONY SOCIETY
Upton Sinclair's Efforts to Or
ganize One Near New York.
MANY FAMILIES TO EAT IN UNISON

l. =
| Meat Eaters, Vegetarians and Lone
Devotee of French Table d'Hote to
Observation-Disclosures to BE Raised
on Community Plan - Prospective
Members Voted For Early Action.
Upton Sinclair, the author of 1.-The
Jungle" recently brought about i'll
New York the preliminary organiza-
ton of persons who desire to enter a
cooperative residence colony, where
children will be raised" on a COM
munity plan in a building especially
constructed for the purpose and free
from all the dangers and discomfort
which the little folk encounter in the
homes of their elders" says the New
York Herald. Not all the men and
women who Joined were fathers or
mothers. Some were bachelors and
maidens.
Gaylord Wiltshire who, like Mr.. Sin
clair, is socialist, presided, yet it was
indicated that 1--WE are not planning a
socialistic community of any sort"
Those who We're interested were large
~ persons who were earning their liv-
ing and who believe they can spend
their incomes to better advantage in
cooperation in a ''home colony" and
solve the servant problem"
OF the eighty who signitied their in
tention of joining the association by
paying or promising to pay before
Aug. 1 a fee of SO each for prelim
mary investigation of sites, etc, sew
eral were said by Mr.. Sinclair to be
wealthy. He instanced Ellis o. Jones,
an elderly retired newspaper propri-
etor of Cleveland, and John b. Leeds
of Philadelphia, young man who had
Offered to work in the kitchen him
self"
What character the colony is to take
in all details is to be determined dem
ocratically by majority vote. Before
calling the meeting Mr.. Sinclair had
about forty-fourS persons pledged to
the idea, and a canvass of their pre-
objections disclosed what no doubt will
be the final mark, tone and situation
of this experiment settlement. Tween
ty-seven questions We're propounded.
Mr.. Sinclair reported the answers.
Would you wish your children TAX
en- care Of comparatively Out of
twenty-five answers there were TWEEN
tyfOur favorable, and the odd one
said it depended on the business or
ganiZation of the association being sat
isfactory.''
What amount of capital would you
inveStT' In round numbers the total
was $4,000.
What would be the minimum num-
Der of families you would care to en-
ter with?' Replies indicated all the
way from to 100. But" according
to an average arrived at by the speak
er, 'if we get fifty families all except
sixteen will be content
Would you set q maximum num-
ber!' To this twenty-four answered
NO." and ten answered 1.-TWO hun
dred." I'VE count on 100" remarked
Mr.. Sinclair, for If we have too large
settlement some families on the out
skirts will have to walk too far for
their meals. 1 predict we shall have so
many applicants that we shall have to
advise the formation of other colo
Mes
How far from New York would you
go"i Eighty per cent voted for one
hours distance. ooh" Mr. Sinclair
added, five of the thirty persons vot-
ing said it was immaterial how far
they went from New York" This
caused so much laughter that it was
explained that it might not have been
meant to be irony
ANY preference as to general direc-
ton from New York;" There was
more hilarity when the result was de-
clared-fifteen for New Jersey, eleven |
for Westchester, three for Connecticut,
three for Staten Island and three for |
Long Island.
Would you prefer water front or |
an artificial lake?' Only six wanted |
the artificial lake.
Would you like to start promptly |
by purchasing a hotel with stables? ?" |
An enthusiastic Eyes" to this 1t |
would be a nucleus around which to |
construct cottages.
prefer rooms in large building or
cottage of your own?" Twenty-seven
spoke for rooms, and twenty-seven
spoke for cottages. Thus, on a basis
of 100 families, sixtytwo would want
hotel life and sixty-two would want |
cottage life.
what will you pay?" Four men
toned $3.50 year, five offered $500,
five offered $500, and one went up to
5000.
AS to 'style of meals" the voting
was four la carte. thirteen vegeta-
rian, five regular dinner, with wide
range of choice" and one French table
d'hote. Twenty three decided for
home cooking, with simplicity and
On the basis of 100.
1t was figured, thirty would be vegeta-
rians.
Some difficulty arose over the ques-
ton of how the workers in the colony
were to be treated Nineteen said