The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-08-11


on Community Plan Prospective
Members Voted For Early Action.
Upton Sinclair, the author Of "Ihe
Jungle" recently brought about IN
New York the preliminary organiza-
ton Of persons. who desire to enter
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 a socialist, presided, yet 1t was
indicated that I'VE are not planning
socialistic community of any sort.
Those who were interested were large
ly persons who were earning their Hv-
ing and who believe they can spend
their incomes to better advantage in
cooperation in home colony" and
solve the servant problem"
OF the eighty who signified their in
tention of joining the association by
paying or promising to pay before
Aug. | a fee of $40 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, a 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 r'a. Before
calling the meeting Mr.. Z lclair had
about forty-four 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. Twen
ty-seven questions were propounded
Mr.. Sinclair reported the answers.
Would you wish your children tax
en- care Of comparatively" Out Of
twenty-five answers there were TWEEN
ty-four 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
invest" 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 a maximum num-
ber|' TO this twenty-four answered
"No," and ten answered 1.-TWO hun
dred." I'VE count on 1OO," remarked
Mr.. Sinclair. for If we have too large
a settlement some families on the out
skirts will have to walk too far for
their meals. l 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
goT' Eighty per cent voted for one
hours distance. "Oh," 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 1t might not have been
meant to be irony
Amy preference as to general direc-
ton from New York;" There was
more hilarity when the result was de-
clared-tifteen for New Jersey, eleven
for Westminster, three for Connecticut.
three for Staten Island and three for
Long Island
No uld 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 Yes to this. II
would be nucleus around which to
construct cote ges.
Prefer rooms IN large building or
cottage of your own Twenty-seven
spoke for ROOMS. and twentv-seren
spoke for cottages. Thus, on basis
of 100 families, siXty-two would want
hotel life and sixty-two would want
cottage life
What will you pay?" Four men
toned $3.50 year, five offered $780,
five offered $500, and che 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 fo-
''home cooking, with simplicity and
wholesomeness." On the basis of 100.
1t was figured, thirty woxld be vegeta-
rians
Some difficulty arose over the ques-
ton Of how the workers in the colony
were TO be treated. Nineteen said
there should be no social distinction
drawn against any worker. Eight dis
eliminated against the kitchen work