The evening world., 1906-04-28
Quaint Settlement in Old
Abingdon Square Carries
Out Unique Plan.
EACH ON HIS MERIT.
Everybody Works, and Everybody.
Scores "Points" That Become
Dividends in Profits.
would,t iead the u.mpi. mar

Go TO No. ! Abingdon square, II you
can Ind the way. and mako your wish
known al the Sign OF the Straight Edge.
The founder. director and pervaiiing
genius OF this Industrial settlement,
Wilbur r. Copeland. who can e9ve
Charles Wagner nocs and spades IN his
" game. viii take you IN and make
you n s-eif-supportinE and helpful NOM
Der OF society. provided you have the
card OF admission. which Is to say q
desire 30 work.
"No loafers need apply might be dis
played over the deiaplcatsd po1ieo.
were such a sentiment not out OF keep
9ng with Straight Edge Ideals YOU
5 nave 10 DO q Wiling worker or you
can't 30 ,sp2y ct No. / Abingdon
square
That Is why the Straiges Edge Indus
trial setticnnene has succeeded where ell
other such enterprises ave failed. and,
after seven year, " progress, looks
forward 70 a n~evsr-onding lease OF life.
Straight Edge Way Of Living.
Jus. VIVA. the Straight Edge IS. 4, is
d'ficuit TO say. industrial Settlement
expresses It's function perfectly. but
Mr.. Copeland shudders lest the public
may dub his enterprise "c~ofn-nunistic."
lie defines It IS q plan FOR workine
out the batter way OF life" n 'the
means for solving the problem % hu-
man Internationally"
After you've thought Il eli over. you
come 10 abe conclusion that the old
red-brick house Of the Straight Bd~s
shelters a tiny working community that
recognizes the need OF division Of labor.
the equality Of all work. the rights OF
the individual and his obligattors 10
his fellows, ma the value OF q
table diet. That's about It.
There IRE twcnty-six industrial units
In Mr. copeland's Utopia. Ten o. them
are youngsters. but not without their
usefulness. These small persons nc
tivitins IN the 'play-work school, nrs
OF considerable value The othor work
crs are engaged IN the Straigh. Edge
ndustries-the 'p1ntery." the beam
cry Conly It's called the Straight Edge
Kitchcn. and tho vegetar-ans only need
ap9lD and the "garmcnt-makery.'
Each resident IN The Straight Edge
Is entitled by his Industry 10 SO worth
OF weekly s~crvice cards. which no
rpend@ as he wishes FOR food. washing
gnd other personal service available
in tho settlement.
Some OF US like two meals a day
and more washing. Others OF III pro-
. fe- more food and less laundering.
We ars all TT liberty TO crafty these
i,err90al tastes as We please explains
Mr., CoDelaad.
Profits on Point sys.em.
Besides the weekly service cards. !
each embe who has served his pro-
batlon period cs two months IS en-
titled TO n share In the combined In
drstlIal earnings Of the society. accord
ing 20 his rating by points. II a
worker hss proved his efficiency nc
oordlng to an exhaustinE list OF quail
neatlons. he is discussed at the month
" point meeting n voted thirty
six points. provided his two months
service was satisfactory. II re con-
tiuues 20 demonstrate his efficiency he
In raised a point by common vote each
month
"Just once. one Of us was raised two
points the same month. but that was
phenomenal said air. Copeland. and
very frequently common assent deprives
Us OF a point or two It's al a matter
of eomnon opinion"
after seven years o. faithfItness. the
organizer OF tho Straight Edge has
ncty-seven points 10 his credit a year
ago tho St-alght-EdSe d~ishwasher had
more points than he. That's where tho
rub comes 10 & ran outsider. WayI
should the activities OF a man OF genius,
as Mr.. Copeland Is, % rewarded no
moro generously than those OF the char
woman or the cook? AS the Straight
Edgsr N CHIEF explains:
LIE Is too short FOR one momen. OF
drudge-y. We shouldn't DO ono seconds
work Ia We DO not trothtu,ly enjoy.
Otherwise. We lose our enioleaoy.
Personally. l do rot lrss 20 wash
dsshes. I'm quite wiling to DO my own
washing OF cook my 1--WE nnsals. but I
DON'T like dtshwashing. Now, ~ dish
washer doesn't want to print pootdets
or teach IN tho play-school. 30 wo both,
DO the work We are best fitted for.
why should I rEoat more By ny teaoh-i
ing on my ?reas WORK than tia rfaithtm
woman by her d~izhwnzhinET
"Lalr Right" to Mothers.
Mr.. Copeland says thu every WORDING
mother in his Industrial centre has tho
'qur-right'' for her children. And he
viii quote ths Jungle Book" to prove
81;
'Hrhe lair Of the % n h.s respye. and
wh0re Re has made HIN his home
Not even the head wolf may enter. not
even the oou3cn may come.
cuh-rglt = the right of the ~yearlinS
From al o: hs pack he may claim
Tun-E5rso whea tne killer has sstc-. and
roma may deny hlsn the same.
Lair-rlght is thu right Of tio mother. Yron
all OF heS year she may claim
one haunch OF each XII for her litU. and
none may deny her the same"
Every child haA the amount o, ser
vice tickets issued 10 all members
Mike, and, according 10 their efficiency
~ The pl~ay-school. tho boys and girls