The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-11-13

left undone and the house failed t,
be completely clean at any one time
We demanded tolerance as funda
mental qualification, when viewpoint
became suddenly very meaningful ant
were sharpened by the war.
In order to insure stability we com
United" ourselves verbally to one
Years residence. Whether we re
manned in the house or not, we would
be morally and financially responsible
for it. We set the rentals according
to our ability to pay with the under
standing that as more people came
into the house our rentals would &c
down. However, we planned to, and
did continue the same rentals for a
year. Later, of course, we reduced
rents and stabilized them at $25 per
couple, SIS per individual. This rate
stances permit, and we hope the only
change will be downward one.
We soon picked up several more
people, and reached our limit of 10
Wiitu d lWO pd6C olOi III Ni AWlli
pictures) swamped us with letters
from people who in most cases had
thought of cooperative living them
selves but had done nothing about it.
We set our limit at 10, not because
we do not have space for more, but
because it seemed the best size for
the family relationship we wished to
approximate.
Overhead for the house includes
rent, gas, electric, cleaning and toilet
supplies, COAL house laundry, petty
cash, decorative articles, ETC., and
runs to about a hundred dollars a
month. Our income at the moment
is "a hundred and thirty-five a month
for we are completely occupied. But
any surplus will be quickly used up
when people leave, a prospect facing
us in the coming weeks when several
boys may leave as result of the
draft. Advertising for new members
is another item that is listed with
overhead costs.
All our work is shared as equitably
as possible. We cook, clean, buy and
play comparatively. Ruth Keir plans
the menus, Bill Kerr does the quantity
buying once a week. Our food charts,
on which we check whether or not
we are coming home for dinner that
evening, and on which we sign up for
guests, and for cooking, also provide
the basis for the food bills which are
made out at the end of the week We
still cannot figure out precisely how
in two years of soaring prices our
kitchen has snown surplus of about
hundred dollars. We have already
declared one dividend and turned the
remainder back into stocks. Part Of
the secret is quantity buying and
cooking When grade "a" eggs, for
example, were selling at 47c we were
getting them in 20 dozen lots from
Long Island farmer at CSC. We get
reductions on canned goods purchased
by the case from Cooperative Whole
sale, and our vegetable man is always
willing to make concessions on large
orders and give us the best besides
The same applies to general pur-
chases. With 10 people around most
of the time, wastage is practically
Left-overs are eventually
consumed and paid for as "snacks."
We pay for our breakfasts on a
strictly cost basis, prices being listed
from week to week. Dinners are 30c
the price having remained the same
our two years at the
house. These include an entree, which |
may be soup, fruit, juice, or even a
shrimp cocktail; three vegetables,
meat, desert, and usually cookies and
coffee.
We place no qualifications ON entry |
other than a Willingness to live CO.
operatively with all that 1t implies.
Ability is demonstrated during three |
month trial period" after which we
vote an applicant into membership.
We have granted an extension of
line on two occasions when we could
not make up our minds, but member
ship has never been withheld after
such a period. This reservation ON
admission is important in house
where one misfit may so easily dis
urb the balance of the whole struc
ure.
Most of our personality problems
ire soon ironed out at business meet
ngs. We can let our hair down, and
have lit out"-a procedure which has
,een amazingly successful in straight
ming out many difficult situations.
The ability to take it and dish 1t out
S basic to successful co-operator.
Our educational meetings, held once
month give us an opportunity to
Exchange our knowledge, experience,
nd skills. Once each month a per-
on in the house gives talk followed
" a group discussion in prepared
opic. Talks have been on such sub
ects as tool and die making, drafting.
lodern art, musical form, communal
ocieties in America, freedom of
peech, the Indian question, etc. We
ost a photography in advance, and
hough there is not the slightest ele
lent of compulsion participation is
sually unanimous.
Open meetings, also held once a
lonth, help to spread our idea to
'iends and acquaintance. Average
tendance runs to about 40 people.
We have square-danced on our lawn,
ED musicals, and amateur theatre Z
ais, and shown documentary films. s
ne of the most successful meetings
as built around film and lecture
n the Quaker Work Camps and the