Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-07-23
THE GUERNSEY PLAN.
TRUE FINANCIAL SYSTEM HAS
BEEN TESTED.
Tho Guernsey Market Money Should
BE Kept Before the People As An
Object Lesson-Bonds Arc Worse Than
Needless.


costs the people the least, and is the
NEST convenient. The best money in
the world is the greenback.'
Greenbacks may be defined as paper
money, issued by the government in
payment of public expenses, and re-
ceivable for all taxes. How this paper
money can be used in making neces-
sary public improvements without SELL
ing posterity into slavery by the issu-
ance of interest-bearing bonds was
shown in the island of Guernsey, and it
cannot be too often retold. 1t is thus
recounted by the Pittsburg Kansan:
"In view of what was said last week
in the Kansan about the possible build
ing of city hall for the city of Pitts
burg on the Guernsey market plan,
quite an extensive interest has been
created, and we have been urgently re-
quested to restate what is meant by
the Guernsey plan.
at may not be amiss to say that
Guernsey, one Of the Channel islands,
In the bay of St. Michael, Is 80 miles
west of the coast of Normandy and so
miles south of Portland on the En-
glish coast. 1t has an area of 10000
acres, and a population Of 10000. The
natives speak the old Norman French
to this day. st. Peters is the only
| town of consequence on the island.
| About hundred years ago, when the
| po pulation on the island was about TO-
900, and that Of St. Peters about 5000,
| the burghers did their marketing
around the church square, In the open
air, but concluded it would be much
better to put up building that would
serve as a city hall and market house.
| That had been concluded by their faith
ers and their grandfathers before them,
but there they were, still exposed to
| the weather in doing their marketing,
| and without any roomy place to hold
public meetings. A bright young man
who had studied architecture whiled
away his spare time drawing the plan
of a possible market house, city hall
and auditorium for st. Peters and the
|
with it. What splendid addition such
a building would be to st. Peters and
Guernsey. The more they thought of
it the more the need of such an insti-
tuition grew upon them. but alas, the
young architect figured out that 1t
would cost not less than f4,000-S20,-
900. There was no money on hand.
Peter de PIsle Brock was governor OF
Guernsey. and was man of great Sc
sources and good judgment. He was
descendant of Norman Rollo, in whose
heirs the governorship had been vested
for thousand years. If anybody could
devise ways and means to put up
$4,000 market house Peter was the
man, thought the people. A deputa-
| ton of the councillors, accompanied by
several substantial burghers called on
the governor, told him what they de-
sired showed him the plan of the pro-
posed market house and asked him
what he thought about it.
81 think this is a very good plan,"
said Pete, "why don't you build it?"
eve have no money, and in these
troublous times we do not think we
could borrow TIT should be remem-
bered times were hard at that time.
"Well, that is rather bad" responded
Peter, "but perhaps we might contrive
to get over the difficulty. Let me see,"
and he glanced again at the imposing
looking from elevation, side elevations,
plans, diagrams and specifications, pre-
pared by the young architect
"Tell me-" he continued, "have we
the necessary rock on the island to
build it WITH" Eyes, plenty of it,"
"And brick?" 1--WE can make them"
Lumber. sand and lime?" Enough to
put up a hundred such buildings"
Have we the mechanics, and teams
and laborers?" Certainly" "But no
money!" mo money" Peter took
few minutes to think and then in a
quiet but positive tone said: 81 think
we can manage it. After all, money
don't quarry rocks, nor burn bricks,
nor chop trees nor saw it into lumber,
nor haul nor build-it is men who do
these things, and you say we have the
men and material, think we can man
age without money. Come back to-
morrow and We'll talk it over again."
In the interval the governor held Sc
CT ct session with his council, and next
day when the big deputation came he
gave out the plan that had been ap-
proved Professionally by his advisers.
It was this: 1.-THE market house will be
in itself tangible value for all the labor
and cost of material. After being COM
pleted it will be source of revenue.
In view of these two facts said Peter.
we can proceed to build it by issuing
market house notes to those who fur
nish the material and service as the
work progresses. If you take these
notes and hold them till the market
house is completed, we, that is, the
council, will receive them in payment
for rent and dues from the market
house until they are all taken UP, after
which the market house will be our
own, everybody will have been paid
and you will have good paying prop
erty to turn over to your children. In
L