The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-08-25
S|NCLA|R'S COLONY
First Prospectus of socialistic
Town Planned by "JungIe's"
Author Out.
BASED ON THE SIMPLE LIFE
One Hundred Families to Be the Nu-
cIeus of the Settlement and Their
Food to Cost 5000 Apiece Year.
Committee Estimates Total Cost Of
Establishment at s275,ooo.

establishment at $2I5,u0O.
New York, Aug. 25.-The first pros
pectus of the New York Home Colony
association is out. The committee on
plan and scope, of which Upton Sin
clair, author of 1.-THE Jungle" is the
chairman, has been talking with all
kinds of experts with view of finding
just what it will cost to build the So
cialistic town where little boys and
girls will be brought up on a co-opera-
tive plan.
So far the scope Is bemstitched with
simplicity. Judging from the outlines
furnished, life will not be deliriously
gay in the colony. Some of those who
have looked over the data feel that
they would rather move to Brooklyn or
take Manhattan fat with co-opera-
tive water pipes, the kind you tap to
let your neighbor know you would
like to have your share of the hydrau-
lies.
One hundred families are counted on
at least in the plan. Based on a tabu-
lation of the letters received there
would be 200 adults and 100 children.
The number of employees required is
figured at seventy-ive, but it is be-
lieved that this estimate will be cut
down one-third by having the mem
berS do the work.
Sixty COTTAGES.
Some of the 100 families will have
only about sixty cottages will be re-
quired. Estimates furnished by capa-
BILE architects place the cost of a five
room dwelling at $1,500.
This of course Is without making any
provision for cooking or servants.
However, attention is called to the
fact that the style of cottage varies
and that sometimes they cost more in
building than they do in the blue print
stage. The hotel where everybody
will board will have 120 rooms and
will cost 100000. The total annual
expenses Of running it will be $4,000.
Wages will not be much, and for IA
cents an hour the services of persons
who will be willing to sweep and dust
and do chores while the co-operators
think can be obtained.
Doctor Wanted Four Hours a Day.
at should be noted in the ease of
some of the properties upon which cal
is made" says the prospectus, "that
these improvements already exist.
This is always the case with stables,
estimates of the cost Of which were
obtained from a man who is in the
livery business. The estimate of the
chiIdren's establishment was prepar-
ed by member of the children's COM
perience. The physician would need
to give only four hours a day to the
colony, the charge for this being divid-
ed with the childrens blishment"
After careful consideration based up
on studying the dietary of the Har-
ward commons the future denizens Of
the colony feel that about 5000 a year
will be enough to spend apiece for
mere food and that the cost of each
| child, including both physical and in
tellestual preparation. will be each
year $298 head. To start off with a
hotel, land Improvements and so on
requires $275,000. of which fully 40
per cent should be in cash.
Those who contemplate joining the
colony are asked what is the absolute
maximum time which they would al
low for going from the ferry or sta
tion to the colony.