WCP616

[1]

Mansfield house University Settlement,

CANNING TOWN, E.

May 28th 1908

Dear D^r. Wallace,

I was delighted to read your article in the present number of the ‘Socialist Review’¹ I came across the book you mention (Mills’) accident three or four years, & have shared your wonder at its neglect. It has largely determined my thoughts on the subject of the remedy for unemployment ever since, & you will see by the marked passage in the enclosed old election address that I have tried to give it publicity.

I have also been in pretty close contact with your namesake, Mr. J. Bruce Wallace² & have much admired his clear thinking in the subject. He, as you probably know, arrives at the same type of colony, but as a voluntary self-organised [2] community. I think the two schemes might very well be combined & that most of those who wish to ‘escape’ from the terror & burden of a place in the present commercial system, would be willing to throw themselves into the state colonies as members aiming at the development of the communities spirit within the colonies, or would form separate associated colonies. With reference to the necessity of an autocracy to begin with, there are interesting remarks in a pamphlet in "Free work at Walden, Holland” van Eeden (Henderson’s) which describes an interesting colony.

I have had for some little time the intention to write a series of articles or a book examining the reasons for failure of various socialistic or communistic colonies, with the idea of favourably contrasting Mills’ scheme or a modification of it. I should be very glad of any advice or hint as to sources of information which you would give me.

With apologies for troubling you y^rs | W. R. Hughes³ [signature]