New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-29
DIR. SINCLAIR EXPLAINS.
Denies Al Charges Made against
HeIicOn Hall.

That the public might know the condition OF the
Aelicon Homo Colony preceding the fire. Upton
sinclair. president OF the colony. and William
Noyes. president OF the board OF directors gave
out tho following Joint statement yesterday:
II has been charged that Helicon Hall was not
RI.1peTly safeguarded against are. The hall con-
each It had been used as Bows. sehooI Tor
Twelve years. with precautions whatever against
colony did was 20 purchase six fire extingushers.
nae very very best oetanable At least eight people
purchased ana hung from the third story inside the
court and from a window OF a room in the rear
The purchase OF rope ladders for other rooms had
ager was In New York attending to this There
were three stairways from the third story and ave
moor anS two from the cellar. We conscientiously
burned matches In every room The buiiding had
oeeh inspected by the Englewood health officers
as we know there is no official in Englewood 70 in
t spect ouidings for fire. All the steps which
inlu9tiveEthe authorities of the city never made
Il has been stated tSat the 70 e6onv was in
Gial straits About January Is it's superintendent
overwork. Having been unable 10 ind y salts
factory bookkeepeT. Mr.. Randall had been keeping
me accounts IN the form of memoranda which
others could not interpret During the three weeks
OF MS Illness and subsequent three weeks III alb
sence SCUM, the accounts OF the colony in
much confusion. and many bills We're held until
they could be certified by him. At tie time ~
lhe nre tne accounts had been straight ard
a complete list of bills about 10 be submitted
10 the board or directors. The money q pay them
IVES MaS IN Ie oahk-nelther the colony nor the hold
ing company ever incurred any obligations until
Ihe money TO pay them was in sight All bills are
now being paid of as rapidly they come in.
IL mas been stated that the colony VAS 'runping
anything else during the formative period Helicon
nan was large place and had been bought with
charged at cost during the early months would
have been as though hotel keeper. whose
planned by those Who had the ENTERPRISE al heart
first year. As a matter of fact. people had moved
In so fast that the deficit had been nearly done
operative enterprise Of this sort the expenses Of
each co-Operator decrease with every additional
people on the coiony's list of those ainterested.
and thirty or more who had definitely declared
the spring and summer. Funds for new han or
cottages to the amount OF $4,000 had been pledged
There were about twenty-five adults in the colony
paying board. With fifty adults the colony would
have had surplus OF $500 year.
There had been many animated discussions as to
the policy OF the colony The cause Of the dissatis-
neoesstRted building operations and confustOn the
constant presence Of INVESTIGATING strangers un-
ditions that made for unrest and an atmosphere
head sariy in March, and was thoroushiy thrashed
out az meeting of the colony, at the end Of which
II was agreed by unanimous vote 10 limit the col
ony so Tar as the cOlony's own efforts were
cerned to Heicon Hall itself, and to raise prices
70 the point 70 make 1t self-sustainng enterprise
ss-was 70 have gone into effect May /, and would
ags r per cent over all its expenseS state
ment announcing this change OF policy had been
who had offered funds Including subscriptions
which had been accepted from abroad. the company
q few days before the are A. g. Craig a resident
OF the colony. had subscribed $50. and had been
not be needed. Mr.. Craig had inspected the sched-
ula OF income and expenditures upon which the
new rate OF charge had been based. and had found
the conditions in the colony satisfactory to him