pense of this schooling
is to be taken from the insurance fund, with the understanding however,
that after graduating, they are to relieve the company of the expense of
a hired surgeon, by taking permanent charge of the hospital, or as our
people have christened it, the 'Temple of health.'

"Relative to the question of retiring members of the company; much
thought and discussion on the part of our officers and co-operators, has
been required, to properly and wisely fix the age at which such
retirement shall take place.

"Many important questions have been considered. Our present colony, as
you know, is composed of young people, as a rule not yet thirty years of
age. Individually they possess strong, disease-resisting, vital
organizations, which have been reinforced by harmonious, mental and
physical development. This immunity from disease to such a large extent,
has been still further strengthened and fortified, by the beneficial
effects of our organized sanitary, social and industrial methods. These
methods have lifted the weary burden of toil from our people, and
substituted therefor, a light exhilarating labor, simply healthful
exercise. Under such favorable conditions, our workers ought to reach
the age of fifty, with health and vigor still unimpaired. For the
reasons named, very few of our co-operators, outside the ranks of the
mother's club, are at present entitled on account of either illness or
accident, to draw their wages from the insurance fund. Fortunately, so
far, not one has become permanently disabled! All things considered, it
was not unexpected, when a final vote on the question was taken, that a
majority was found to be in favor of fixing the age of retirement at
fifty years.

"This decision will give the farm company, twenty years in which to
prepare for the event. In the light of our past experience, no one
doubts our ability to accumulate an adequate fund, with which to meet
the additional drain upon it. This drain will prove a heavy one, as the
retired pay of the co-operators, who have reached the age of fifty, has
been fixed at two-thirds of their present pay, that is, fifty dollars
per month or $600 per annum. Premising that the maximum number on the
retired list at any one time will not exceed fifty; the total annual
retired pay will then amount to $30,000.

"The following plan has been devised to meet this additional
expenditure. It has been demonstrated conclusively, that five years
hence