The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-18
THEY DO NOT WAND MONEY
"A Society Which Claims to Have
Solved the Financial Problem.
Stores For Barter and Exchange.
Outlines of a System BY Which
Band of Reformers Believe
They viii Improve the
Workingman.

FRANCISCO whose leaQorS say they nave
solved the financial problem by invent
ing fractional system of exchanges
which does away with both gold and
silver as money.
The now society is known as the.La-
Dor Exchange and is based on the idea
that the people seldom want what they
themselves produce, Therefore they say
that the way TO solve the labor problem
is to put the products of industry in the
market for exchange for other commodi-
ties
Carl Gisssor is one OF the leaders Of
the new society, but the Labor Exchange
also conducts general store which is
managed by Henry Warfield. To his
store the idle shoemaker or other man
ual worker brings the products he has
manufactured Mt home or in his shop
during lnll in business. He is paid
nothing in money for the goods he de-
posts, bnt is given q certificate which
entities him to any goods in the storo rs
pay for his wares. Mr.. Glesser says that
by tho mid of this system during tho past
year goods valued at many thousands Of
dollars have been exchanged among the
Phe certificate reads that it is not re-
Geemnble in legal tender, but is recoiv-
able By the association ns payment for
merchandise for all services. The GER
tificate Is secured by the real and per
sonal property of tho association.
The officers of the local branch of tho
organization have lately received reports
which indicate that its plans are being
adopted throughout tho state and nation,
and that stores are liz successful ouers-
tion in many oitios and towns. There
aSe1150 members In San Francisco and
about 500 i'll the state. Plans arc under
consideration 10y the San Francisco
branch by which shoemakers, glove
makers, knitters aud other artisans
will be kept employed to keep mp the
stock of the various stores in tho state.
They will be paid wholly by checks or
certificates, which entitle them to draw
ont goods 20 the value of their earnings.
The Labor Exchange is based largely
on the idea expressed by various polit-
1cal economists that goods are often OK
changed practically without the use Of
money. Tho founders believe that in u
more advanced civilization thoir OK
change checks will take the place of
money, which will then be abandoned
as useless medium Of commerce.
The founder Of the system is q. r.
dc Bernardo Of Independence, No, an
old organizer of Oranges and other
farmers societies. His plans are said to
have been recently Endorsed by the en-
lnent Michael Flurscheim of Switzer-
land, and by prominent political econo-
mlsts OF Germany, who have organized
exchanges on the same basis that finds
practical illustration in tho little store
un,Nalencia street. In one Of his articles
on the principle of tho exchange tho
founder says that he plainly saw, in
studyang the question Of wealth and
poverty, THAT if person was not per.
mitted to pay his debts with the prod
nets OF his craft, but must procure au
article he did not produce-gold or sill
ver-he would be at the mercy of the
owner OF tho legal tender commodity
AND thus would be ruined or enslayed -
Phe reformer next sought to set in
motion an Interchange of services be-
tween men and women out Of employ
ment and therefore helpless for lack of
money. The employment Of idle labor
Is thus the prime object of the associa.
tion.
The following sentences from the
prospectus of the organizer Of the ex-
change show the general purposes of the
reform. He says:
behold the fundamental principle
ana ann of the true Labor Exchange
Which is not visible in any other sim
liar movement of our day. True, most
OF them use the labor check as a substi
tute for legal tender money, but ready
TO return to legal tender money as soon
as able TO do so; some are even basing
the check on legal tender money, while
we use the labor check first to keep la
Dor employed aud the industries in mo-
tion, and, second, to demonstrate bv oh
Jeot lessons that legal tontier money is
useless-nay, q robber, and therefore
should DO abolished altogether.
Our modus operandi i'll this greatest
OF all reforms is to set in molten at
first an interchange OF services between
nen and women out of employment
and paralyZed for lack of money. To do
this requires no capital, and there is no
possibility of u failure Pass from this
s mutual aid department to the proauc.
tion and Interchange Of articles of corn.
mon use among the associates, and grad
nally rise from these simple operations
10 larger enterprises, and finally bring
our co operative forces to the constrn(,