USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Florence > The history of Florence, Massachusetts : including a complete account of the Northampton Association of Education and Industry > Part 7
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IO. Contained in Article V.|
11. [Contained in Article IX.|
12. |Same as Article VIII.]
13. Children above the age of five years may hold Stock in their own names, and may be present at the meetings of Stockholders, but they shall not vote until they have attained the full age of sixteen years.
14. [ Same as Article X.]
15. | Same as Article XII.]
16. Same as Article X111.]
17. ¡Contained in Article IV.]
18. Contained in Article VI.|
19). [Same as Article VII.]
20. Contained in Article XV.]
III. INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY.
21. The Industrial Community shall be organized by individual members and families uniting to constitute it ; by establishing distinct departments of industry ; and by electing a Director of each department.
22. Every member of the Industrial Community may devote himself to dif- ferent departments of industry ; and all the members belonging to any one depart- ment shall choose from amongst themselves the Director of that department.
23. The Industrial Directors, with the President, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Association, shall form a Board who shall provide suitable employment for all the members, shall fix the rate of compensation for the various employments, awarding the highest compensation to the most necessary and disagreeable, and shall manage the purchase of materials and goods, and the sale of articles pro- duced or manufactured, but after the actual payments of Stock shall amount to
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NORTHAMPTON ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.
thirty-one thousand, two hundred dollars, they shall have no power, as officers and agents of the Community, to buy or sell on credit.
24. Children above the age of five years may become members, and be present at the meetings of members, and may engage in the industrial pursuits of the Community, and receive compensation for their labour ; but they shall not vote until they have attained the full age of sixteen years.
25. The Association shall provide for the members of the Industrial Commu- nity and their families, moral, literary, scientific, agricultural, and mechanical instruction, medical at- tendance, and nursing, baths and public rooms without charge ; but every member shall be at liberty to seek and procure for himself and his family other instruction, medical attendance, and nursing, at his own cost.
26. If labour in kind or in quantity is required which the Industrial Com- munity does not supply, it may be hired for the oc- casion at the expense of the Association ; if the Industrial Directors can- RIVER BEND IN BAKER'S MEADOW. not furnish constant la- bour to members of the Community, they may labour for others for hire, the pro- ceeds of such labour to be for the benefit of the Association; and if any members shall prefer employment not under the direction of the Industrial Community. they may engage in it, with the consent of the Directors, for the benefit of the Association.
27. [Contained in Article XXIII.]
28. Every member of the Industrial Community shall live on the lands belonging to the Association, and shall be provided with suitable apartments ; and in settling with individual members each shall be credited with the value of labour performed, and charged at a reasonable rate with the rent of apartments occupied, and at cost with articles for domestic consumption.
29. In making the annual settlement, the disbursements shall be made in the following order : first, the wages of labour ; second, the expense of members of the Industrial Community unable to earn a livelihood by their own labour, includ- ing destitute widows and orphans of deceased members, the property of such members in the Stock account being first applied as far as it will go : third, inter- est on Stock; and fourth, the net balance, if any, shall be divided among the members of the Association, one-half being awarded to labour, one-fourth to skill., and one-fourth to capital.
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HISTORY OF FLORENCE.
30. Any matter in dispute shall be decided by arbitration. The two parties concerned shall each select an arbitrator. The two arbitrators thus selected shall choose a third. And the three thus chosen shall constitute a Board of Arbitra- tion. who shall in open court hear the representations and examine the witnesses of both parties, and shall deliver a written decision, conformable to equity and good conscience, which shall be binding without appeal, and shall be placed on record for future reference and guidance. The arbitrators shall be compensated for their time and labour by the Association according to a rate fixed by the Industrial Directors.
31. The litigation in a court of law of any question in dispute between parties belonging to the Association, either instead of having recourse to arbitration or for the purpose of overthrowing a decision pronounced by arbitrators, shall sub- ject the offender to expulsion.
32. The Association may establish By-laws not inconsistent with the spirit and intention of this Constitution.
33. (Contained in Article XXV.]
The Meeting then proceeded to organize the Northampton Association of Education and Industry by the choice of a President, Treasurer, and Secretary, when the following persons were elected by ballot, viz., Joseph Conant, Presi- dent : Samuel L. Hill, Treasurer ; William Adam, Secretary.
The following persons were in like manner elected members of the Board for the admission of new members, viz .. Hall Judd, Samuel Brooks, G. W. Benson.
The following persons were in like manner elected Directors of the Stock Company, viz .: G. W. Benson. Theodore Scarborough, E. D. Swift, D. Mack.
The meeting closed by appointing a committee of three to provide accommodation for new members. The object and principles upon which the association was founded are set forth at some length in the above Consti- - tution and By-Laws. The Northampton As- sociation like Brook Farm and Hopedale rejected communism as unfavorable to in- dividuality. All three VETRIOSHIN-"AN ENDLESS KNOT." desired honest co-op- eration. During the first year the Northampton Association in its man- agement differed materially from Brook Farm, inasmuch as the affairs of the association were conducted by two distinct bodies, all financial matters being governed by the holders of the stock, and the " Industrial Community " having absolute control of the departments of industry.
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NORTHAMPTON ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.
Thus capital and labor were separate, and yet bound together. The Stock Company could attend the meetings and offer advice to the Indus- trial Community, but could not vote, and vice versa.
The second meeting was held the following day, Saturday, April ninth. The stock directors purchased a quantity of raw silk from Mr. Conant, a committee was authorized to purchase ten or twelve cows, one yoke of oxen, six horses, swine, poul- try, and some farming im- plements and supplies ; three applications for admission were received ; and the In- dustrial Community ap- pointed E. D. Swift director of the silk department, with instructions to begin oper- ations on the first of May. On April 14 the lumber, agricultural, and mechanical departments were organized, and Samuel Brooks, G. W. Benson, and Joseph Conant, RIGHT toWHATELY 8 Mil ... LEFT in WILLIAMSBURG & Hills. HEFT fo ALBANY 72 Mile .. respectively, were appointed directors. It was voted that labor be paid by the hour and that the Constitution be printed. By the last of April, a "Community store " had been fitted up, and nineteen persons (including children) were admitted as members.
The month of May was a busy one for the new associa- tion. William Adam was ap- pointed director of the Ed- ucational Department, and OLD SIGNBOARD-"LEFT TO ALBANY, 72 MILES." was instructed to prepare at the expense of the Community a course of lectures on Social Economy, " in illustration of the principles and practices of the association." The Industrial Community appointed a building committee of three mem- bers ; Mr. Mack was authorized to procure information and report on
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HISTORY OF FLORENCE.
the subject of horticulture, with a view of establishing such a depart- ment. Oliver D. Paine was made director of the department for the feeding of silkworms and the manufacture of raw silk.
During this month the brick building (later known as the Greenville Cotton Factory) was fitted up and the " factory boarding house " estab- lished. In the basement was the laundry ; on the floor above or second story, besides two rooms given to silk manufacturing, was a room fitted up with " bunks" in which several men slept. On the third floor at one end was the kitchen and long dining room, and at the other end were several sleeping rooms. The " finishing room," where the silk was skeined and packed, and the " Community store" were on this floor also. The fourth story was divided into sitting and sleeping rooms for families and single persons. All the partitions were of plain boards. Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Wells were appointed to take charge of the new department, and DRVID MILL-FORMERLY THE COMMUNITY BOARDING HOUSE. they were instructed to entertain only such All supplies were ob-
boarders as the stock directors might sanction. tained at the Community store.
The stock directors saw the need of some changes in the constitution and therefore adopted four amendments. One stated that any officer of the association or either department could be removed by a two thirds vote of the body appointing him. Another provided for an annual meeting to be held in January, and that no stockholder could vote who failed to pay his assessments on stock subscribed. The fourth provided for the dissolution of the association and read as follows :-
" The Trustees with the concurrence of the Stock Directors shall have the right to sell and convey in fee simple or for other less estate any or all of the real or personal property on such terms as they shall think proper and thereupon they shall as may be voted by the Stock Directors either re-invest the proceeds of such sale, or employ them in carrying on or extending the Industrial pursuits of the community, or after discharging all claims against the association divide the proceeds or any part thereof amongst the stockholders n proportion to the amount of stock which they have respectively paid in."
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NORTHAMPTON ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.
This declaration of trust and the other important parts of the con- stitution were prepared by E. G. Loring of Boston, and duly examined by Mr. Charles Forbes* of Northampton, "both gentlemen of legal eminence." Nineteen names were added to the membership list, a ma- jority being children.
In the month of June benches were placed in the mechanical depart- ment, and slates, books, etc., were purchased for the "infant school"; a "Daily Express between Broughton Meadows and the village of North- ampton " was established, and Mr. Hall Judd was to be credited two
REAR VIEW OF BRAID MILL-ORIGINAL COMMUNITY BUILDING IS SHOWN IN CENTER.
hours a day, and more if necessary, to attend to this duty. Members who employed his services were charged on the following scale : "One cent per letter, one-half a cent per newspaper, two cents for an errand or message or small purchase, and six cents for any commission or business in which the use of a wagon is required." Implements of husbandry to the amount of $1,576 were purchased ; the question of remuneration of labor was left to be determined by the directors at the end of the year with reference "to the actual nature, usefulness and value of the labor performed by each member "; and the following rules governing the boarding house were adopted :-
" Ist. All the boarders are required to retire to their sleeping apartments for the night at one half past nine o'clock, and to extinguish their lights at ten o'clock.
* Donor of Forbes Library.
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HISTORY OF FLORENCE.
" 2d. It is left exclusively to the discretion and judgment of the superintend- ents of the Boarding House to make provision for the table and generally for the comfort and convenience of the boarders, and in the event of any dissatisfaction of the boarders they are requested to first make known their wishes to the super- intendents, and, finally, if necessary, to the Board of Industrial Directors.
"3d. Washing is included in 'Board and lodgings' to be furnished by the Association, but should any boarder appear at the end of the year to have occa- sioned disproportionate expense on this account, he will be debited with the excess.
" 4th. Mending is not included in boarding and lodging, and the boarders are left to provide for their own wants in this respect, either through the Department of Domestic Economy, in which the charges will be as moderate as will compen- sate for the labour, or in any other way that may be preferred."
But few items of interest appear in the month of July. The board for the admission of new members was busy investigating the credentials of the numerous applicants for membership; the charge to the members for using the daily express was discontinued ; S. L. Hill was made assistant direc- tor of the silk manufactur- ing department ; it was voted to rebuild the saw- mill, and build a gristmill ; weekly reports were re- quired from heads of de- partments ; Mrs. Wells resigned the superintend- ence of the boarding house; and some time was given - to investigating " Mr. Pres- ton's machine for making flax."
During the months of August and September but little of importance is 1.1.FCTRIC POWER HOUSE-MOUNTAINS IN DISTANCE. chronicled. Mr. Swift re- signed the directorship of his department, and E. D. Hudson was made his successor ; several other changes in the directors of departments took place : Henry C. Wright of Boston was requested to undertake the agency of the associa-
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NORTHAMPTON ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.
tion in England, to procure subscriptions of stock, and was offered three per cent. on the amount subscribed ; the first withdrawal from the asso- ciation took place in the resignation of Mrs. Sally Hill.
Joseph Conant, Earle D. Swift, and Orwell S. Chaffee withdrew in October. They had been active workers for the good of the association, especially in the silk man- ufacturing department, where Mr. Swift had been superintendent. Mr. Co- nant's practical judgment in business affairs and the executive ability he displayed as president of the association had made him a valuable member, and his resignation was a severe blow to the Com- munity. The experiment he feared would not prove a financial success, and his business tact told him to seek a new field that might yield better returns. In the "Book of Letters," the secre- tary, William Adam, in a letter addressed to John "A NEW ENGLAND FARMER." Bailey, dated the six- teenth of March, 1843, gives the reason for the withdrawal in the following words :-
The fact is that towards the close of last year three of our mem- bers left us, finding that they had hastily united with us, and they could or would not merge their private interests in the general and common interest. The sepa- ration has taken place in an amicable way. They are all three relatives, have commenced business and purchased farms in our immediate neighborhood, have received from us all the assistance which it has been in our power to give, and have given us all the accommodation in their power in withdrawing their stock. They are men of good private character as the world goes, but their object in joining us appears to have been from the first, pecuniary advantage, not moral improvement. or social usefulness, and we all feel that their departure has strengthened instead of weakened us."
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HISTORY OF FLORENCE.
The three members referred to purchased Enoch Jewett's farm, which included the house, shop, and water power, and began at once to erect a silk mill, which now forms the western end of " Leonard's Mill."
The association quickly recovered from the temporary embarrass- ment caused by losing these members. Owing to the frequent resig- nations of those appointed superintendents of the boarding house, on October fifteenth the families and individual members residing there appointed David Mack, Maria Mack, and Nancy Richardson a committee "to superintend and control the domestic arrangements of the house." Edward Vallentine, an English dyer, had heretofore done all the work in this line, but he was not a member, and the association wanted some one of their number to do this work, so they agreed to pay him one hundred dollars to " instruct James D. Atkins in the art of dyeing silk," and the contract was signed October twenty-second. For eight years Mr. Atkins had been a stereotyper at the University Press, Cambridge, where the constitution of the association had been taken to be printed. In this way his attention was called to the Community, and, thinking favorably of the experiment, he came to Florence and was admitted as a member.
The board for the admission of new members for the last three months had been busy considering applications, and, although many were declined, a goodly number were accepted. Before the year closed a cutlery department was started, and the making of boots and shoes begun.
SOUTH MAIN STREET PARK.
CHAPTER IX.
NORTHAMPTON ASSOCIATION .- Continued.
THE YEARS 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847 .- CAUSES OF THE DISSOLUTION .- MEMBERSHIP LIST .- NOTES.
SOON after the association started, the vital question of the remunera- tion of labor had come up for discussion, and the members had voted to leave this till the end of the year. At a meeting of the Industrial Directors, held the sixteenth of January, 1840, this matter was decided after many ballots had been cast, as shown by the following item taken from the secretary's book :-
" Resolved, That the labour of members of the Community during the past year, shall be remunerated in the following manner, namely :- those under twelve years of age at the rate of one cent per hour, above twelve and under six- teen years of age at the rate of three cents per hour, above sixteen and under twenty years of age at the rate of four cents and one-half per hour, and above twenty years at the rate of six cents per hour."
The first annual meeting of the asso- ciation was advertised for the eighteenth of January, but, as some departments were not ready to report, it was post- poned two days. As many matters came up for consideration, the meetings were adjourned from day to day, and the an- nual meeting did not end till the first of February. However, the amount. of business transacted was proportionate to the number of meetings. When the association was started in April, 1842, the leaders were unacquainted with the task of directing a "Community," and, as a natural consequence, many of the regulations intended to govern the work- ing of the association after a trial of nine GEORGE W. BENSON. Photograph taken in 1866. months had proved impracticable. These objectionable features came up for consideration at the annual meet- ing, and after many days of earnest discussion, in which nearly all the members took part, numerous amendments to the constitution were adopted, and a code of by-laws added. While these changes did not make the object of the association any different from the original
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HISTORY OF FLORENCE.
design of the founders, and while the principles as set forth in the pre- amble remained the same, the new constitution was a radical departure in respect to regulations governing the privileges of stockholders and non-stockholders. Several extracts from replies sent by the secretary to inquiries from abroad will not only give the gist of these amend- ments, but will tell us how they were regarded by the members.
" FEB. 27, 1843.
"To HENRY G. WRIGHT, Lynn, Mass. :
" Last year labour and capital held joint sway. This year, as an experiment, labour has exclusive control. * * All this is exceedingly bad and imperfect. Come and judge for yourself. We do not claim to be perfect, and everything is open to the candid inquirer."
To Moses K. Meader, same date, Mr. Adam writes :-
The person who gave you the information that the amendment of the Constitution recently adopted makes the object of the Association very dif- ferent from the original design, is, in the opinion of a large majority of the asso- ciation, widely mistaken ; the amendment in their view directly tending to carry out that design more fully, to invest the whole body of the members with equal rights and powers, to unite them in co-operative industry, and to give them a common interest in the produce of their labour. To show this I should wish to send you a copy of the new regulations but it would occupy more space than this sheet would afford and I therefore will give the substance in the form of an abstract.
" Ist. This regulation merges the Stock Company and the Industrial Com- munity into one, and gives every member, whether stockholder or labourer, only one vote.
"2nd. This provides for the election of the Directors by the Community at large in public meeting.
"3rd. This provides that members and their families shall receive lodging, necessary furniture, fuel, oil, and clothing at the common expense, in addition to what is provided by Article 29th of the first constitution.
" 4th. This provides that after payment of all expenses and charges at the end of the year, one-fourth of the net profits shall be divided equally among all the members, and the remaining three-fourths shall constitute an Association Fund.
" 5th. This abolishes the Board or Committee for the admission of new members and gives the power of admitting members to the whole community.
"oth. This restricts the right of voting to those over eighteen years of age.
";th. This pledges able bodied and healthy members to ten hours labour per day.
" These are all the new regulations, and I would remark on the fourth that instead of dividing only one-fourth, some wish that the remaining three-fourths also should be divided equally among the members, but this has not been fully resolved on, although it is probable that it will be adopted before the close of
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NORTHAMPTON ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.
the year. You will judge for yourself whether there is any departure from the original design."
Mr. Conant's resignation had left the office of president vacant, and at the annual meeting Mr. Mack was chosen to succeed him. Mr. Adam was re-elected secretary, and Mr. Hill treasurer. The reports of the directors of different departments showed that the past year had been a successful one. It was voted to have eleven departments, and the work of each was defined in detail to avoid any clashing among the parts of the great machine. The duties assigned to each department and the names of the directors and their assistants are given below :-
"I. Agricultural Department, including all farming operations, and all standing wood and timber. Theodore Scarborough, Director. E. D. Hudson. Assistant Director in Horticulture.
" 2. Lumber Department, including sawing lumber, cutting shingles, care of lumber yard, and sale of lumber. G. W. Benson, Director.
WEST ON MAIN STREET-NEAR OIL-GAS STOVE WORKS.
"3. Silk Manufacturing Department, including the manufacture of Silk and Flax, and the direction of the machine shop. E. L. Preston, Director.
" 4. Cutlery Department, including all kinds of blacksmithing and cutlery. H. Wells, Director.
" 5. Mechanical Department, including all carpentry, the planing machine. and the manufacture of shoes. W. F. Parker, Director.
"6. Silk Growing Department, including the culture of mulberry trees, the feeding of silk-worms, and the reeling of cocoons. O. D. Paine, Director.
"7. Domestic Department, including the providing of females with work. the superintendence and care of domestic labour and of the community board-
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HISTORY OF FLORENCE.
ing house. Roxie Brown, Director. Nancy Richardson, Assistant Director of the Table. S. L. Hill, Assistant Director of the Household.
"8. Store Department, including the purchase and sale of supplies and the care of the Daily Express. Hall Judd, Director.
"9. Accountant's Department, including charge of the book and accounts of the Association. W. Larned, Director.
"10. Educational Department, including the direction of the studies, labours, and amusements of all members under the age of eighteen, in consulta- tion with parents, guardians, teachers, and industrial directors. W. Adam, Director.
"11. Secretarial Department, including charge of the correspondence of the Association, keeping copies of letters sent and recording the transactions of all business meetings. W. Adam, Director. G. W. Benson, Financial Assistant in the Treasurer's Department."
During the closing winter months the members were busy perfecting the organization of the " Community," as it had come to be called. The new regulations pro- vided for the clothing of the members, and the sixth of February, in accordance with this provision, it was voted that for the year 1843 twenty dollars should be allowed to all mem- bers over eighteen years old ; fourteen dollars for those be- tween the ages of four- teen and eighteen ; ten dollars for those be- tween ten and fourteen A COMMUNITY HOUSE,-WHERE WM. ADAM LIVED. years ; eight dollars for those between six and ten years ; and five dollars for children under six years old.
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