Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-22
A COOPERATIVE COUNTRY HOME
ny FREDERIC J. HAsKIy

museums. AZ tho New Versailles thew
arc 10 lie given their true place In a
scheme OF elaborate beauty. In al
word, when the scheme reache, q, l.
logical fulhlmcnt. this will be tho an.
prem" monument 10 American wealth
In the year i've thousand and som. :
nn,nE; maFhap' " VIII be dug UP and 4
eXhibited as masterpiece OF the
American civilization IT Will he tn IN.
American miliionaircs what tho pvra
intds are to the Pharoahs-a physical "
demonstration OF their tremendous +,
power 10 create.
but meantime. and as soon as THAI
hrst chateau is finished, il Will do for q
me American millionaire great many !,
Things That he would otherwise have 1
Ia do for himself !, is to be an ex- &
pertinent In communal living for the t
rich All over the world Mt various :,
times. communal colonies have been
founded By socia!istic dreamers and
always they hay" failed because there
was no real need for them Now in
New York. the need has grown UP be- i
cause OF tho great number of people
aud tho complexity OF their wants
and the need has brought into being i
the communal apartment house. This n
Erost cooperative country homo VIII
take up tho !dea and carry II q stem il
live In Il VIII bay as much space "a /
IL needs. One man, for example. has /
bought only n room and bath for s5,-
0o0. while another has bought s256. }
400 worth. With this he can do AS
h- rieases, for he owns H. This par
ticular man has decided TO cut out tn. .
doors OF the second story. so that all T
OF his rooms Will have yaulted cell {
ings twenty feet high.
Nothing to no hut Pny.
Having thus acquired an ownership. l.
the tenant has satisfied all Of his needs {
without any further effort upon his
part except the writing Of checks. Au-
tomobilcs. garages. chautfeurs. az all :
supplied by the colony as who'll So
are yachts and motor boats. and
giant sea-planc. thcater. schools for
children and a playhouse TO cost s25.-
n00 are all thrown in. Tennis courts
and golf courses, ana an aviation field
and hangers and aeroplanes arc all !
there. Cooperative stores are main ,
iained and cooperative restaurants.
grill rooms. bars. and catering estab- I,
lishments. In word, the millionaire {
may enjoy all the innumerahle per
quisites Of being a millionaire with
ont once thinking about them; he may
revel in the complex luxury OF modern !
wealth and his own contribution Will I
consist merely I'm paying the bills. lie
may go tc Europe for the summer and Il
return without notice ana Hrd every
thing in running order at his home
communal.
Tho servant problem IS to he solved 1
in the same way. There will be ,
cooperative servants quarters where i
thu valcts and lackevs and chamber
maids will have n clubhouse OF their /
own, and a swimming pool and an auto !
hus TO take them on picnics. and many ,
other perquiaitcs. From this estab
lishment the tenant viii be able TO en-
ploy whatever servants he desires by
the day. hour or year. There will he ,
but one requirement: no servant will
DO. allowed to work more than eight
hours n day.
This town-in- house is to have A
board OF directors elected by all the
tenants. and this board is TO hire a ;
manager. II will be run Just like a
modern small city. with one important ,
exception. The board OF directors will ,
carefully pass upon the social and H.
nancial qualifications Of every would
he inhabitant. SO this is TO he n worry
exclusive experiment in communism.
But If il works there Will doubtless
be other and less exclusive ones So
crowded are the great cities becoming
that self-prcservation has Of necessity
become mutual preservation. The co.
operative apartment of to-day is prob
ably a forecast of how we will all be
living in the not so distant future.