Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-03-17
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
The Labor Exchange MAY
Settle the Question.
1T WILL PROVIDE A MARKET
- nrief Statement OF Facts Concerning
an Organization That Is Rapidly
Gaining Prominence


Gaining Prominence.
BY G. L, KELLOGG, Vancouver, Wash.
While the various political parties
and the people generally are wrangling
over the financial and labor questions,
there is being established in our midst
an organization, known as the Labor
Exchange, which claims to be able to
transact business without legal tender
money by basing its medium of ex-
change on the products of labor, and
eventually to furnish employment to
the idle by supplying a market for the
products Of their labor
This is not an entirely new organiza-
tion. Though it has been operating
successfully in several cities, no sys-
tematic effort has been made to extend
its workings, until within the last year
or two. Now, however, since number
OF branches have proven the practicable
ity of the plan by actual business
operations, the idea is being taken up
i'll every state in the Union and over
200 branches have been established.
As an example of what is being done
in this line we would call attention to
the San Francisco branch, located at
No. 322 Davis street, which has done a
wholesale business of $28, 900 within
the last eight months, wholly without
money. The manager, Mr.. Henry
Warfield, has compiled labor ex-
change directory of the different busi-
ness houses that have investigated the
plan and now accept Labor checks" at
their face value, as being as good as
money. Every business nearly is repre-
sented, and the list completes the cir
cult of necessities of man, so that the
holders of labor exchange checks are in
a position to supply their wants with
out regard to money.
Any useful article may be deposited
with the exchange, and the depositor
receives therefor deposit check which
is mot redeemable in legal tender, but
receivable by the Labor Exchange Asso-
citation in payment for merchandise, for
all services and for all debts and dues
to the same; and it is based upon and
secured by the real and personal prop
erty in the keeping of the association"
The property held for the redemption
of certificates cannot, as per charter, be-
mortgaged nor pledged for debts, nor
can 1T be withdrawn, but may be ex-
changed by the association for other
property OF equal value.
The branches in different sections of
the country exchange surplus products
with each other. For example, there
are such things as socks and cigars from
as distant a point as Reading, Pa, at
the San Francisco exchange, broom
handles from New Whatcom, Wash,
fruit extracts from Fresno as we'll as
fruit from as far south as San Diego.
A consignment of shirts and overalls is
being negotiated for with branch in
Ohio; lot of dried fruit was recently
shipped to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in ex-
change for pork; and groceries were
sent to Armona in exchange for dried
fruit The branch at Los Angeles is
putting up shoe factory; Forest
Grove, Or, has tannery; Olathe,
Kan, grist mill; Red Bluff, CAL,
spice mill; Salem, Or, has a brick
yard, warehouse and wharf, Vancouver,
Wash, proposes to make coffins, and
the Oregon City, Or, branch will
operate a rock crusher.
To make the subject more clear to the
reader, an illustration of its workings
is given: Some farmer owning timber
land might cut some logs and deposit
them in the exchange, taking labor
checks in receipt therefor; the owner
Of an idle sawmill would rent his outfit
to the branch and accept checks as
rental; some men, now idle, would
work the logs into lumber; unmployed
carpenters would manufacture the lum-
ber into collins, furniture, ETC., and re-
ceive checks for their labor. The
articles thus made would be sold on the
market or exchanged with other
branches for provisions, clothing, etc.,
which would be again exchanged to the
farmer, mill-man and mechanics for
their "checks. 1t must be remem-
bered that no check can be put into
circulation until some labor or the
product of labor has been deposited
with the branch, and whenever the
''checks" are redeemed the value goes
out and the checks are Cancelled.
1t will be seen that all branches of
Duslicss Will SUM nc IcpIescHteut anu
when the producers can market their
products and supply their wants with
out the use of legal tender) by me-
dium of exchange based upon, and at
all times equal to the wealth produced
grand step will have been taken to-
ward the solution of the greatest prob
lem of the age.
Under this sytem, farmers would
not be clothed in rags while tailors and
weayers starved; weavers would not go
barefooted while shoemakers and tan
ners needed clothes; and carpenters,
painters, bricklayers and plasterers
would not be idle while people suffered
for shelter.
Every American citizen should in
yestigate this.