The San Francisco call., 1896-08-03
The Worth of a Mans Daily
Toll Is Recorded on
Paper.
TO BUILD HEADQUARTERS HERE
There Are Now One Hundred and
Sixty Flourishing Branches in
the Country.

The Labor Exchange, an organization
intended to tighten the burdens of the la
boring man by depriving the over rich OF
excessive profits, is rapidly gathering a
large mem bership. More than 400 people
in San Francisco have joined among them
being laboring men, artisans, merchants
and professional men. The organization
is contem plating the building of head
quarters here in the near future.
One remarkable feature of the organiza-
tion is the fact that IL claims that it is
doing effective work quietly. 1t says
little, but continually saws wood.
The Labor Exchange was organized
about four years ago in Missouri by 6. B.
de Bernardo. When boy he felt that
something was wrong with society and set
about to remedy the condition, finally
evolving the prese mt system embodied in
the Labor Exchange. From the nucleus
started near the Mississippia powerful and
wide-extended society as grown.
The San Francisco branch is now two
years old. This is one of the twenty
branches in California and of the 160 in
the United States.
The main object is to put the unem-
ployed to work, and also to do away with
the present monetary system.
depository, where a member brings the
fruit OF his labor-a load of farm produce,
a suit OF clothes or a pair of shoes, etc.
For this he receives a check, correspond
ing somewhat to the greenback used in
United States currency. These checks are
marked with. the same relative value as
| coin, that is, in dollars and cents. With
| this check he may buy whatever he pleases,
| or store it away for future use. This check
| bears the receivers name and would be
tender only by him. When the checks
have been used they are cancelled.
"Our checks" said R. Patek, chairman
| of the building committee yesterday, "are
really worth more than legal tender, as
each dollar represents so much work be-
| hind it.
"The depository buys at wholesale and
| sells at retail and the margins of the
| transactions runs the establishment.
I'VE have learned the reason" he con-
| tinued, IRON the capitalists and monopo-
| lists. We simply keep to ourselves the
profits that otherwise would go to them.
| We get our most sympathy from the
ranks of the Populists. We have no as
sesments nor dues; only a dollar initiation
| fee that goes toward propaganda work.
''There are many merchants and land
| lords who will accept these checks. Our
present officers are: Fred Clark, president;
Barnaby Dougherty, vice-president; G.
| Warfield, manager; l.. G. Clark, account
ant; Kinghorn Jones, secretary; and di-
rectors, DIR. Bethel, r. Patek, Mr.. and Mrs.
Ancker, Daniel o. Fltz, G. Gleeser. who is
also State organizer.
There has not yet been failure in any
branch that has been started. At San Ia
Paula three capitalistic concerns were
| compelled to close their doors because of
the competition of local depository.
''At our last meeting Friday night it was
decided to negotiate for piece of land
suitable for building purposes on which
we will erect headquarters for the work.
"The movement is rapidly gaming pop
ularity, and we have in our ranks soma
prominent and substantial citizens of San
Francisco"