Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-09
Every House Surrounded by Fruit
Trees-No Extravaganza and No
Poverty-Cost of Living Small.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

composed eHIiTely Oh educated ana CuI-
tured white people, Many of them diff
fer from the remaining eighty-five mil
lions of our body polite upon ques-
tions OF political economy and other
conventional ideas. Some of them be-
long to the class that are called
.'cranks.' independence of thought Is
perhaps the most characteristic feature
of the little colony.
Fair Hope was started in January.
1896. by f. ID. CASTOR. James Bellangee.
j. b. Hunnel and Alfred Wooster of
Des MONIES. Iowa who came down here
selected the site occupied by the VII
lage. and bought 1000 acres of land for
the purpose of putting into active prac-
tice the favorite theory of the late
Henry George. Although no restric-
tion is made. every person who joins
the colony is expected to contribute
his share to the general we'll being
and assist in the development of the
economic policy, based upon the gen
eral principle that all men are equally
entitled to the use of the earth.
Every One Rents the Ground.
No one owns the soil on which he
lives. The corporation. in which every
person has a share who desires to buy
| it, owns the land, which extends 5000
| feet along the bluff overhanging Mo-
bile bay, and extends back five miles
into the country. Everybody pays rent
to the corporation, and has a perpetual
lease. Each tenant can build a home
after his own fancy or cultivate the
| soil according to his own theories of
agriculture. Residence lots, 80 by $50
in size. rent from So to SIS year, lc-
cording to location; business lots cost
from So to $50 a year, and farming
land from IS to 70 cents an acre per
year. according to location The occu-
rs nj IC rQf ttf.1ll yy fhn H.
land for which he pays such rent, and
may dispose of it If he desires to do so,
| subject to the approval Of the directors
of the corporation, who exercise a
sort of benevolent despotism. 1t is not
necessary to be a member of the cor
poration to enjoy it's benefits, and
| land outside the corporation property
can be purchased for an average of
so an acre. more or less. according to
| the quality of the soil and the Local
ton. Nobody in the colony pays any
! further taxes The treasurer of the
| corporation pays the state and county
assessments.
The idea Of public ownership and a
| trast to private ownership and general
taxation in the remainder of the county
| and state The theories of Mr. George
are carried out SO far as the laws Of
Alabama will permit. Several difficult
ties were presented to the leaders of
| the colony, who were compelled to
modify their plans accordingly. The
pure single tax idea cannot. they say,
| be carried out in this country. The
best MIR. CASTOR. the father of the col
| ony. and his associates could do was
to organize corporation, buy the
tract Of land. lease it In small lots to
colonists. provide all public utilities,
pay the state and county taxes in a
lump. and get their money back by
rentals.
The president of the corporation is
Mr. Frank l.. Brown, formerly of Chi
cago; the treasurer Is James Bellangee,
the hrst man to buy share of stock.
| and the secretary is Mr. CASTOR who
| has always held that Office
Some Discomfort Felt.
| These gentlemen started out as pioneers
| usually start, went through a great many
| experiences, suffered considerable hard
| ship under circumstances not naturally
| favorable, and have succeeded beyond the
expectations Of other people, although
not so well as they hoped for themselves
They claim that if the experiment could
oe carried out to the full exemplification
IF Henry Georges theories 1t would be
| a perfect success. The failures they have
met with are attributed to the restrictions
of the state laws. When they came here
they thouhgt they could do more than they
| have found practical or possible and they
misjudged in measure the consistency
and adaptability OF human nature. There
has been good deal of kicking. AS one
gentleman expressed it:
/ There Is too much talent on board the
ship. and good many more critics than
| are needed. A community of 700 cult
waited, thinking people with more brains
than money. more ideas than business tai
ent. more theories than experience is apt
to develop differences of opinion. Sew
eral gentlemen in the colony are confident
that 1t would have been a greater sue
cess if the management had been in
their hands instead of those of Mr.. Gas
ton, Mr.. Bellangee and Mr.. Brown. Fur
| thermore they took in everybody. includ-
ing many families who do not believe IN
the single tax theory. and had to give
| them certain amount of represent ton
but not until after long struggle Human
nature is seldom contented. The men,
bers of the colony who do not under
stand the theory upon which it is found
ed. or Will not accept 1t, and certain
othrs who have not been So prosperous
as the rest have tried to make trouble.
| They complain that it is an injustice to
compel everyone TO pay the same, and
when they are told that they get their
compensation in other ways they are not
satisfied"
Fair hope is not a democratic form of
government. 1t is as have said Il
| benevolent despotism, but is prospecting
| better than any other new community in
Alabama, and furnishes a striking con
!
the neatness Of appearances. the pride
and ambitions of its citizens and the mod
ern improvements which have been pre-
vided for them.
More Advantages Than Elsewhere.
| Although their taxes are much lower
| than those Of any other town Of the same
size. and the people do not require CAPT
tai TO purchase town lots or farms, they
get a good deal more than is furnished
| the inhabitants of any other town in the
| south.
! They have, for example. a water works
system which furnishes free water from a
! large we'll near the beach operated by a
steam pumping plant. Ii is pure hard
! freestone water. as good as tile hest
, There are free lighthouses. open to every
resident
Three free schools are maintained eight
months In the year One is an ordinary
public school. another is what is called a
! school of organic education which
means a school for teachers, and fur
nishes instruction in every grade of teach
ing. from the Kindergarten to high school
methods. including manual training. The
third Is music school. where instruction
in instrumental and vocal music is fur
nished free to the children of all families
who rent corporation land ThOSa who