The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-08-13

building materials. all bur SIX became
discouraged and dropped out.
Six families. however, refused to re-
linquiSh the project, and saw IT
through to the bitter end. They pro-
posed to build 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 $1,000
In a box. With this they bought a
building plot. The rest Of the money
they obtained from cooperative So
ciety'> bank in the form of FIRST and
! second mortgages.
Much of the buildin: was done by
| the men of the six families. all OF
whom took special pride in their
work and s,rove frantically to outri.
val one another in painting and plas-
tering various rooms. Their task com.
pleted. the co-Operators moved in,
heavily in debt as it might seem to the
unco-opera,ive. Actually, however.
they We're paying interest on their own
debts. and not on the debts of some
! landlord. That interest. together with
substantial monthly payments on rrln-
cipal. taxes. general upkeep, and 9th.
! er 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. n bath room and a kitchen
/ (not kitchenette) and for these ac-
concentrations they paid into the com.
mon building fund SoG.35 !, month.
Then Came the Rush.
As il became known that such homes
could be obtained at such Il remnrka-
bly, low price. the first six co-operatOrs
from other families. who wished tn
Join the movement The house was
soon full of tenants hut so great was
the demand for similar accommoda-
tons that another cooperative group
was organized TO build second apart.
ment house. This time the co-opera.
tors were not so timid in riSking their
money. and decided that their house
should be even bigger With even great.
er c0nvenienceS.
Incidentally, it was to cost $iN.OU
more due not To the added improve
ments hut to the increased cost Of
building materials. The cost OF the
latter rose so rapidly that third
group, which was on the point Of or
ganizatinn, decided tn defer building
until conditions became Il trifle lesi
chaotic and the cost Of bricks wen
down.
Envy Of Less Enterprisino.
This was two years ago. Today
these progressive. cooperative Finn!
are the envy of all their less enterpris
ing neighbors. They are enjoyin,
warm, comfortable and convenien
homes at Il small cost Mt time Whel
many individuals are reduced to un
comfortable make>hifts and all are de
Dendent on the none too tender meF
cies of their landlords.
Each family is permitted TO pay OF
its share of the principal as rapidly II
y,ossible, and several OF them hav
rearly achieved complete ownership o
their apartments. Others, moving t
other cities. have been compelled r.
lucnuntly to part with theirs. unl
one i. striction is place GA the sale o
an apartment, and that is the prOvl
sion; that only one apartment may
owned by each family-in order I
maintain the true cooperative natur
Of the colony.
Thus. the Firms have shown us no,
to make the most Of Il e motto on .,,l
national currency. I'm union there
, | strength. "-Frederic J. Haskin in CHI
] CagO News.