The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-08-20
building materials. all bur SIX became

building materials. all hut SIX became
discouraged and dropped out.
Six families, however, refused to re.
iin4uish the project, and saw It
through to the bitter end. They pro.
posed to build a 16-family apartment
house and found themselves facing the
problem of raising $4,000. A treas
urer was appointed. and each family
paid weekly installments to the COM
munal treasury until they had $SeeoO
in a box. With this they bought q
huildin: plot. The rest Of the money
they obtained from, a cooperative So
ciety's bank in the form of first and
second mortgages.
Much Of the building was done by
the men Of the six families. all Of
whom took special pride in their
work and Strove frantically to Outri.
val one another in painting and plas-
tcring various rooms. Their task COM
pleted. the co-operators moved In,
heavily in debt as ii might seem TO the
unco-operative. Actually. however.
they We're paying interest on their own
tNbtS. anu oII tIic uSIlS Va SoIlC
landlord. That interest. together with
substantial monthly payments on rrin-
rpal. taxes. general upkeep and 9TH
err expenses. amounted to considerably
less than they would have paid in
rent for apartments of the same size.
Each family had light. five-roOm
apartment. with all modern improve.
ments including telephone hot and
cold water. Il bath room and a kitchen
(not II kitchenette) and for these ac-
Communications they paid into the CON-
mon building fund s2G35 month.
Then Came the Rush!
As II became known that such homes
could he obtained q. such Il remarka-
bly, low price. tn. first six co-operators
We're overwhelmed with applications
from other families. who wished to
Join the movement. The house was
the demand for similar accommOda.
tons that another cooperative group
was organized TO build a second apart.
ment house. This time the cosOpera.
tors were not so timid in riSking their
money. and decided that their house
should he even bigger with even great.
or cOnvenienceS.
Incidentally, 1t was to cost $4,000
more due not to the added improve
ments but to the Increased cost of
building materials. The cost Of the
latter rose SO rapidly that third
group. which was on the point If or.
ganization. decided to defer building
until conditions became tritie less
chaotic and the cost Of bricks went
down.
Envy Of Less Enterprisino.
This Was two years ngO. Today,
these progressive, cooperative Firms
are the envy of all their less enterpris-
ing neighbors. They are enjoying
warm. comfortable and convenient
homes mt small cost at Il time when
many individuals are reduced to un-
comfortable makesh;f,s and all are de-
penuent on the none too tender mer-
cies of their landlords.
Each family is permitted to pay of
its share of the principal as rapidly ns
,ossible, and several of th"rl hare
reurly achieved complete ownership Of
their apartments. Others. moving to
other cities, have been compelled re-
iu'"nn,ly to part with theirs. only
one Il striction is place Ga the sale OF
an apartment, and thai is the provi-
sion that only one apartment may be
owned by each family--in order ia
maintain the true cooperative nature
Of the colony.
Thus. the Firms have shown MS how
to make the most Of II g motto on 0ul
national currency. I'm union there ID
strength" Frederic J. Haskin In Chi
] CagO News.