The newly appointed commission met for the first time on July 18, elected Dr. Noyes for chairman and William A. Hinds for secretary, and adjourned until August 8.

Whether Mr. Hind's Resolution of June 25, 1880, which gave rise to the commission eventuating the dissolution of the Oneida Community six months later, was solely his inspiration, or whether it was a combined effort of Mr. Hinds and Mt. Towner, cannot be determined. No letters or diaries by either man for this period are known to be extant. Both men had opposed the investment at Niagara until some satisfactory settlement of the political differences at Oneida was made. Mr. Towner had lodged a vociferous protest against what he claimed were slanderous attacks by certain members of the other party. Mr. Hinds had said, in the Administrative Council of June 25, that he had lost all hope of their ever achieving agreement under this present government. His resolution proposing the appointment of a commission was made and laid on the table until July 13.

Frankl Wayland-Smith recorded its next appearance:

Martin Kinsley was on the commission as a representative of the "Third party," whereas he belonged to the Hinds-Towner party. I objected to this arrangement when the matter was presented to the Community in Evening Meeting, July 17, and Dr. Noyes stoutly supported my view. He also nominated me as a member of the commission. Thus amended the commission stood: Church party—Albert Kinsley, George Campbell, M. H. Kinsley; Hinds-Towner party—W. A. Hinds, H. W. Burnham, Martin E. Kinsley; Third party—Dr. Theo R. Noyes, F. Wayland-Smith.

This commission was approved by the Committee July 17 and had its first meeting July 18, at 3 P.M. in the Council Room. The commission met for the second time August 5 instead of August 8, as first intended, as there was a decided feeling in the Community that it should act promptly.

In this second meeting we all spoke on the difficulties and dangers of the present situation. The principal of these are:

1. In regard to leadership and government. We have now no government worthy of the name. The Council is a failure. The young people do just as they like.

2. We have now no religious unity, which is the cornerstone of communistic success. The Community was founded on a belief in Mr. Noyes's practical inspiration. Now, not more than one-half the people believe in that. The others have lost their confidence in him to a degree that destroys his control of affairs.

3. Our business credit is threatened by our divisions and internal dissensions. Our businesses are so expanded that we have been obliged to borrow about $60,000 of the banks, besides some $30,000 of "deposit loans" from our neighbors and work people. If these loans should be called in it would pinch us badly. We would be obliged to mortgage or sell our real estate.

4. Our own members are, many of them, no longer industrious. They see no object in toiling while the earnings and profits are controlled by others, they getting merely a comfortable living.

5. We are no longer so economical as formerly and the present government is powerless to prevent waste and extravagance.

6. The young people are no longer under proper control. They are nominally under the authority of the Youth's Committee, a body of their own choosing and they do just as they please. Some of the young men have begun to smoke, drink, and sear, and the children will soon catch the habits from them.

At the second meeting of the commission, these were the difficulties which, we were all agreed, rendered it practically impossible for us to remain in our present situation. Some changes must be made. What shall they be At subsequent meetings of the commission various plans were proposed and discussed.

The official "Report of the Commission" was as follows:

The next question in order was whether anyone had a plan which promised to bring the Community as a body back to the conditions of the past, and at the same time remove the present difficulties. No plan was offered, and no one saw any present probability of a return of the whole Community to their former status.

Opportunity was then given for the presentation of modified Communism. Two plans under this head were offered: The first mentioned was by Wm. A. Hinds, which, however, he did not present as wholly his own. It propose to keep the present accumulated property intact, carry it on together as at present, but allow wages to such as preferred to work for wages, they being paid only for what they chose to labor more than a fair proportion of hours; at the end of the year, after deducting from the Community income all common expenses, all wages to members and a certain agreed sum to reduce our debt, to divide the remainder equally amongst the adult members.

It was urged against this plan that it did not remove some of the greatest difficulties of the Community was now facing and suggested no means whereby the different parties could separate if they wanted to.

The second plan of modified communism was presented by Mr. Albert Kinsley. It proposed to divide the Community into two classes—the class of pure Communists who should hold the property and manage the businesses and government of the Community, assuming all responsibility for the payment of its debts and guaranteeing to both classes a permanent home and support, the second class to enjoy all the common benefits of all society but to receive wages and have no vote in the management of affairs. It further proposed to pay all members who might choose to withdraw from the Community a liberal sum.

The plan was pronounced liberal but met with serious objections; it was feared that the introduction of class distinctions among those who had previously lived on an equality would prove an endless cause of evil-speaking and contention.

Mr. Burnham offered not a plan but rather a suggestion by which he believed it possible to reach a statement of agreement. This suggestion was to revive Bible Communism in the Community by inviting the services of some outside reputable Evangelist who should turn their hearts to the spirit of the Bible—and there leave them.

The last plan offered was that for resolving the Community into a cooperative or joint-stock company; this sponsored by Dr. Noyes and F. Wayland-Smith. The latter described it thus: "This plan did not meet with much favor because both the large parties in the O.C. are afraid to declare in favour of anything anti-Communistic. They meant to keep their records all right."