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Show CO-OPERATIVE LIVING, Enterprise to Be Tried on Largo Scale In Philadelphia. RURAL SCENES NEAR AT HAND Each Family to Ltvo by Itself In Nina Room House Cooking to Be Done on 'Community Bails For Whole Block. Desirability of Children a Feature. Although Upton Sinclair's famous cooperative co-operative colony at Ilellcon Hall went up In smoke, tho Idea will not die, and a new colon' has Bpruug, phenlxllkc. from the ashes of the old, says the New York Tribune. It is known as Ktngsley Center, located at Sixty-first and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, and la' under the management of an ex-member ex-member of Upton Sinclair's ill fated communtty. The, scene of tho present enterprise sounds Ideal. A block of new houses on one of the old rcsldenco streets, but on the edge of the country, nnd yet within easy access to the trolleys and the Market street elevated cars, has been fitted up with a big community kitchen and central dining room. Each family lives by ibielt in a house of-nine of-nine rooms, exactly as it would disc-where, disc-where, except that there aroafo Individual Indi-vidual servants and the cooking is done on a community basis for the whole block. Tho meals nro served In tho central dining room or In small private pri-vate dining rooms, as the tenants may prefer. All the complications of domestic service are done away with except as regards laundry work. Tho manager docs not yet see his way clear to compote com-pote with the city laundry service, but all the other work is to be performed by trained assistants, provided by tho management, on a par as to standing with trained nurses, who will havo rooms In tho upper part of the block and at a fixed rate an hour will attend to the work of each house, leaving the mistress of the house free to dispose of her time to her own advantage and to that of her family. It is not the aim ot the management to competo with the type of apartment house that caters to the Idle classes, and the woman of leisure "who is seeking seek-ing some way of casting off all home responsibilities re-sponsibilities that-she may spend her time shopping or card playing" is distinctly dis-tinctly informed that she Is not desired. But the busy mother with a lot of little frocks to make and little socks to mend is Just the one who is wanted. Tho most startling Innovation in tho programme is the clause as to the desirability de-sirability of children. The little ones aro to be made welcome Iu every possible pos-sible way. From tho woods and tho creek on the country side of Jbe block, providing Ideal facilities for healthy outdoor life, to the kindergarten and nursery within, where, under tho direction di-rection of trained nurses' and kinder-gnrtners, kinder-gnrtners, the physical and educational welfare of the children Is under constant con-stant supervision, nothing has been left undone to make them happy nnd good. l Naturally it Is desirable In a place of this kind that thero bo some uniformity in the scale of living; otherwlso the Ideas of people accustomed to living on a terrapin basts will conflict with thoso whose piece do reslstanco Is generally com beef. For this reason only families fam-ilies having an income of from $1,500 to $2,500 a year aro Invited to apply. And the expense of this manner of living Is no more than n family In these circumstances would be under elsewhere. else-where. Nine room bouses are rented for $30 a month. Meals for the week are $0 for adults and fp for children under fourteen. Tho rntes paid the servants will amount to much less than whoro one family must employ them exclusively, and, adding tho cost of each family's laundry, It would seem easier to keep the living rates within definite bounds than is the case with the moro fluctuating expenses of the average household. |