The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-15
AS WOMEN have DONE
Unemployed Men Establish
an Exchange.
LABOR FOR NECESSARIES.
Articles Made by the Needy offered
for Sale,
OR NAY BIZ TRADED FOR OThERS.
Certificates Of Deposit Will Be Glyen
at the Bureau and Accepted
on Altruria Store.
OR NAY BE TRADED FOR OTHERS.

Like the unemployed in half dozen
other cities of California, the unfortunate
class in this city has established LABOR eX-
change association. Different means are
pursued in nearly every place where such
a bureau has been established, but the
principle and object are the same. Inc
latter is to give the large army OF unem-
ployed an opportunity of exchanging their
labor for the simple necessaries of exist
ence at first and then as the organization
gains in strength something OF a more pre-
tentious character will be attempted.
The lines on which the exchange is con-
Quoted are, to certain extent, similar 10
those of the more fashionable Woman
Exchange on Post street. Any member OF
the Labor Exchange can make any article
from bottle of stove polish to a new cos
metic take it to headquarters and have II
disposed of lust as it is done at the women 5
institution.
The member of the Labor Exchange has
the advantage, though, for he is saved that
far from pleasant anxiety as to whether or
not his article will be disposed OF at once
or only within the course OF his member
ship. Whatever the wholesale value OF his
goods may be, he is given certificate OF
deposit to that amount, which is recognized
at the exchange as legal tender for what
ever other article there that he wants. At
the present time the association has
entered into an agreement with the Altru-
ria store by which the members are enabled
to choose from greater variety of articles.
The Altrurian store keeps general
groceries, and so long as the members of
the Labor Exchange Association have GER
tifcates of deposit for goods left there they
can go in and buy with them what they
desire.
This is practically the system under
which the Labor Exchange people intend
to conduct their business. The certificates
are legal tender while they are dealing one
with another, but when they are presented
to an outsider the latter will hardly recog-
nize them as money.
The members of the bureau think they
can obviate this difficulty by living in a
colony and passing their legal tender among
themselves. A large number of persons
representing a variety of trades have al
ready signified their intention of recogniz-
ing the certificates. The manner in which
this is done is similar to the present bank
ing system.
No one is allowed to deposit more goods
at the store than are required, and if work
of one kind cannot be found for him he
will be employed at something else. At
the store all goods are received at their
wholesale value, and at the employment
agency payment for service is given either
in cash or goods at the option of the en-
ployes.
Similar associations exist at San Diego,
Los Angeles, Red Bluff and in Oregon. In
the latter State it has been proposed to
build railroad issuing these certificates
instead of bonds. Many of the branches
are meeting with success both here and in
the East, there being in all about thirty
eight chapters formed.