TEE IRRIGATION AGE. 209 



school teacher ten per cent, of his salary, and the laborer devoted a 

 tenth part of his time to be used in accomplishing many things 

 wholly beyond the reach of the individual, yet of the highest impor- 

 tance to every individual as members of the community. 



The Greeley settlers had it from the large profits of their town- 

 site which, under their humane and sensible plan, belonged to all and 

 was applied for the benefit of all. 



The members of the Dutch and German labor colonists had it 

 through the wise provision of those who planned the work, a certain 

 percentage of the available fund being set apart for the purpose. 



This common fund, belonging to the community as a whole and 

 handled under its direction by able executive officers, is one of the 

 essentials of success. It effects a saving of tens of thousands of 

 dollars to the community and it makes them absolutely independent. 

 In purchasing their implements, provisions, and all other supplies 

 they make a saving of twenty-five to fifty per cent. They are not at 

 the mercy of local merchants. Not only do they save in buying 

 things at wholesale rates and with cash discounts, but they save 

 again by combining their products and transporting and selling them 

 in quantities. They realize added profits by owning and operating 

 various little industries, such as creameries and canneries. These 

 arrangements make the difference between success and failure. 

 There is no communism in the plan. It is only co-operation under 

 the familiar forms of the stock company. It is simple horse sense to 

 adopt such plans and methods. It is conducting colony business in accor- 

 dance with the sound business plans which have brought success to 

 the wise men in every other line of industry and commerce. 



THE INDIVIDUAL, UNIT. 



"The unit of the community should be the individual family." 

 In all the successful instances which have been quoted homes 

 and farms have been individually owned and there has been no 

 attempt at common ownership. Theoretically there are some 

 advantages in communism, but practically the method has never 

 commended itself to men of our race, nor has it been successful when 

 attempted, except in a few instances like that of the Zoar community, 

 Oneida, and the Shaker settlements. Even in these cases it has not 

 endured long enough to be of value as a guide. On the other hand, 

 there have been numerous instances of the saddest failures. 



The reasons for choosing the individual unit are deeply planted 

 in human nature. One man wants his house painted white and 

 another yellow. One man wants Jersey cows and another Durham. 

 One man has a natural taste for gardening and sees a fortune in 

 celery. Twenty other men prefer to depend on twenty other crops 

 for their cash income. If it be true that no house is large enough for 

 two women, it *s not less true that one small irrigated farm cannot 



