, 1935-03-22
and Students Work in Fields
In Radical College Being Investigated
by JULIUS G. EDELSTEN
Central Press CORRESPONDENT

by JULIUS G. EDELSTEIN
Central Press Correspondent
Mr. Edelstein recently visited
Commonwealth college, now very
much in the news.
MENA. Ark, March 22.-Almost
any place in the nation would be q
less astonishing setting for . "rsdi-
cal" college than the wild and rustic
Ozarks, q region in which many In
habitants are popularity supposed TO
be ignorant Of the fact that the Civil
war has ended.
Yet, set in these wooded highlands.
10 miles from the nearest village.
100 miles from the nearest trolley
car line, there Is an institution OF
higher learning, Commonwealth col
lege, which Is ut the present time
under investigation by the Arkan-
saS state legislature as an alleged
hotbed Of communism. free love and
atheism.
Central Figure
Central figure IN the investigation
Is Lucien Koch. 27-year-old president
Of the college. who has been accused
of being a Communist agitator ON
account of his organizing activities
among the share troopers and ten
ant farmers OF the Arkansas hinter-
lands. Much is the news. Koch has
twice been jailed in recent weeks on
charges of anarchy and melting 70
riot in connection with his organi-
cation activities.
Koch's college has been variously
described by outsiders aS a veritable
Gomorrah Of sin and sensation, and
on the other hand as n Of the most
interesting and valuable educational
experiments now going on.
Commonwealth college originally
was founded in 1923 at Leesville. La,
as an institution at which both
youths and adults could earn their
own maintenance while studying
postwar economic and social PROB
lens. College prerequisites were not
required. although an alertness 10
and interest in sociology and &c
onomics were demanded Of students
and faculty members. Founders OF
the college, headed by DR.. Edward
Zeuch, visioned a school where
workers, farmers, college men ano
faculty members could work and
study together in one communal
gathering, earning their own right
to teach and to study by the toll Of
their own hands. each according 70
his fitness.
Not Entirely Perfect
II has not worked out SO beautiful
" as all that; but the actuality Is In
that general direction. In 1925 the
school moved to Mems, Ark, and
rented some ramshackle buildings.
The southern mountain regions were
selected for the schools site, first,
because Of the inexpensive land;
secondly, because food could be rails
ed in greater varieties; and finally
because the entire region presented
an interesting problem Of sociology:
the so-called poor white" class.
Since location at Mena 90 miles
out of town. Commonwealth college
has acquired $50 acres Of fertile but
unbroken soil in a district where one
may walk all day without seeing q
human habitation. Students ana
faculty members have worked TO-
gether and have constructed, with no
outside assistance, school buildings.
sanitation systems, dormitories ana
recreation halls. They have brok-
en- the soil and titled the land. In
the classrooms, the relation between
faculty and students Is that OF fell
low Searchers toward q common
goal, with the teacher being the lead
ar Of the search. There are few lee
lures, most Of the claSSwork being
In the form Of discussion.
Work for Maintenance
But both students and faculty
members are required to work for
their maintenance; the students. 20
hours q week; faculty members, 10
hours q week. And in this work, the
organization Is like that In any In
dustrial plant. The most efficient
and skilled worker, be he student OF
faculty member, Is the foreman. The
OtIlCAS dScAAAC0 " bAA0t Soohs AAA@A4A
ing faculty members are his subor-
dinates and subject to orders and
disciplinary action
All the work necessary FOR the
maintenance Of a college commun-
ity is thus accomplished. There Is no
outside paid help. Kitchen work.
laundry work. construction work.
cleaning. painting. work in the fields
-. all Is done by combined efforts
Of faculty and students.
Students pay q quarterly tuition
fee. Faculty members receive no
compensation. but pay no tuition,
and receive certain privileges not &C
corded to students. Commonwealth
college is rs per cent self-supporting,
which means that the tuition fees
plus the total labor output OF the
college community take care Of u
per cent Of the cost Of operating the
institution. The other Is per cent Is
raised by soliciting funds from in
dividuals who are interested in the
educational experiment. and by O
series Of lecture tours made by Pres
ident Koch every summer.
Valued at $4,000