New-York tribune., 1906-07-16
Mr.. SINCLAIR,S COLONY.
Author Outlines Plans for Cooper
attire Community.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: At o'clock on the evening of Tuesday
July IL. there will be held at Berkeley Lyceum,
No 10 West 44th street, a meeting called by
about one hundred persons who are interested
in a plan TO establish a cooperative home in
the vicinity Of New York request little of
your space in which to outline it for the benefit
OF such of your readers as may be interested in
it, and may care to attend the meeting and
learn more about it,
1t should be explained at the outset that we
are not planning any sort of socialistic COM
munity; very few of the persons interested are
socialists, so far as 1 know. They people
who are earning their living in business or pro-
fessional life in New York and who believe that
they can spend their incomes to better ad-
vantage in cooperation. 1t is their plan TO
establish a home colony" to secure the ad-
vantage of the application of machinery to
domestic processes. and incidentally. to solve
the problem of the management Of servants.
1t is planned that each family in the COM
munity shall have it's own separate horne,
home of whatever style and cost 1t pleases but
without the usual apartments for the preparing
and serving Of food and the caring for children
1t is planned that these latter activities shall
be carried comparatively There will be a
large central building, containing a modern
scientifically constructed kitchen and dining
rooms and suites for those members VINO 90
not care for a separate building of their own:
The community would own sufficient land, ana
would raise its own food supplies. SO lar dS
possible It's various departments would be un-
der the management of experts, and all Its sup
plies would be purchased In DulK ana De leSIeu
for quality The management of the business
affairs of the community would be under the
control of a board of directors demOcratically
elected by vote of the membership. The mem
bers would thus be entirely relieved from the
worry and waste incidental to the management
s,I,v III ~
Gus responses which a bare suggestion OF me me
plan has brought forth are sufficient evidence
that there are number OF people ANXIOUS 10
escape from the isolated home.
The chief motive toward the experiment seems
10 be the difficulty experienced by persons OF
moderate income in bringing up children All
are agreed that the city is no place for children
and yet parents find it lonely in the country
Also II is impossible for the best intentioned
mother to be with ner children all the time, and
she is obliged to intrust them to servants whose
ideas and habits are not to her liking IN
community such is here proposed it would be
possible to avoid ever allowing children to come
into contact with servants. The children ot~the
members would be cared for in building espe-
cialy constructed for the purpose ana Irec from
all the dangers and discomfOrts which the little
folk encounter in the homes Of their elders The
management of the building would be under me
control of a board Of women directors elected by
the mothers and the persons selected 10 care
for entertain and instruct the children would oe
trained nurses and kindergarten experts. II the
colony sufficiently large a physician could
be engaged, and the child would be surrounded
at every step DN Jne pest care NillCH 4i!OuCii
science can devise
The colony would, Of course, have hall for
lectures and concerts, reading rooms and circu-
lating library, a gymnasium and recreation
grounds bathhOuses, boat and carriage livery
and a cooperative store.
The possibility Of many such advantages WILL
of course, depend upon the size Of the com,
munity, and for this reason are anxious that
as many persons should know of it as possible
II one or two hundred families should combine
the community would be able to purchase from
FIVE hundred 10 one thousand acres of land. and
to build its own electric light and heating plants
Also. with group of that size every one would
be relieved from the fear of coming into contact
with uncongenial persons. Every one having his
own home, and being privileged to invite to 1t
those whom he chose other members Of the
community would be as much strangers TO him
as persons whom he meets at present in the
same theatre restaurant or club.
Just what can be done with any given number
of families is. Of course, a question to be de-
termined by arithmetic. The purpose Of the
meeting on Tuesday night is to talk over the
plan and get at the general sentiment of those
interested, and to name committees to get exact
figures and to draw up plan of organization for
stock company. UPTON SINCLAIR.
Princeton, y. J.. July II. 1906.