The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-20

| ers OF the movement expect TO be able To
| get along entirely without gold or silver
coin or actual bank notes.
This condition viii come, they say, when
the colony numbers among its members pro
| ducers of all the necessities OF life-an event
| 10y the way, which the sanguine ones
| think is near at hand. present 250 peo-
| pie, it is asserted, areinterestedin the enter
| prise. Among them are farmers, tailors,
| dressmakers, laborers, builders, shoe and
| harness makers, mechanics and Others OF
| various callings. They are little weak
as yet ON groceries, and as groceries figure
! largely in the economy OF the household,
the shortage is seriously felt, but the mana
gers are by no means discouraged. They
expect to oyIcome this difficulty as soon
as the merit and simplicity Of their scheme
is thoroughly understood
1t is an experimental new way and or
modern lines with the theory which Plato
and Robert owen and other great leaders
unsuccessfully sought 10 put in profitable
practice. Keeping in view the one central
object OF mutual benefit and cooperation,
which is the essential feature Of real com
munisnl, the directors Of the Chicago col
ony have adopted methods which would
lutlonary by tile original fathers OF the
communistic idea. Instead Of forcing the
individual to sink lis identity as an indie
pendent factor ill society and become a
mere cog in the machine, they make no ef-
fort TO restrain personal action-every
member is left free to follow his own trade
or calling and To conduct his affairs i'll his
own way.
The business is being managed by the
Labor Exchange Association the main
office OF which is at No. 7117 South Chi
cago avenue. Chicagos colony is but one
OF a number OF branches Of the Labor EX-
change which have been recently started
in various parts OF the country under the
supervision of g. b. De Bernardo, OF indie
pendece, Mo, with the purpose of estab-
fishing q chain of warehouses from which
exchanges of commodities may be made.
One branch at Lynn, Mass, is to manufac-
ture shoes.
Another in California is to can and dry
fruits. Still another in Kansas is to raise
corn and wheat, while yet another in some
parts OF the West will grow cattle and hogs.
When the chain is completed it is expected
that everything necessaryto mans support
and comfort will'be produced in this way
and an interchange of products by menas OF
the labor exchange currency certificates
will entirely relieve the members in all
parts of the country from the necessity Of
dealing with rude barbarians, who insist
on being paid for their goods in gold or
silver or bank notes. Bankers and money
lenders will he completely frozen out. There
will he no debts at usurious rates of interest
and every man will find ready market at
fair prices for labor and the products Of
his skill and toll.
Its the same old dreamy story of ITO
pis,'' say the douhters Its already
an established thing and success is within
sight, say the enthusiasts. And there
you are.
THE basis of all wealth is labor" says
Vice President Campbell, "and yet with
millions of acres of fertile lands untitled
thousands of men and women and children
are compelled to go hungry because they
cannot get the work to get the money to
get the food they need. Excepting those
III urea ol QlIgsM 10 snIdIns 5ABu ouM
terest for them the bulk OF humanity finds
its chief use for money as medium for
securing the necessaries and comforts of |
civilized life They get money in return |
for their labor and exchange it for the |
things they need This being the case any
thing that will secure the same result win |
answer the purposes of this class of work |
ers just as well, and it is upon this pTin- |
ciple the la Dor exchange is based. Wetake |
the products of the farm and workshop
and through the medium of our currency |
certificates make an interchange of the |
goods among those who need them, but |
have no actual money to buy them with" |
How do You manage the details OF the |
exchange so as to make equitable terms |
to all members?"
I'VE have, say, member who is har- /
nessmaker, and who is turning out more |
goo's than he can sell in the ordinary way. |
He must either discharge his hands and |
shut up shop or find market for his prod |
uct. a nd we furnish him amarket forit. He |
can bring his harnesses to our warehouse |
and deposit them, receiving in pay labor |
exchange certificates for their value. With |
these certificates he can buy at the same |
warehouse other goods which he may need |
which have been similarly deposited by |
other members. In this way he can get
flour and meat and potatoes for his house
hold use, and thus avoid using what actual
money comes into his shop for supplies OF
tificates such of his workmen as are mem
bers of the exchange and are willing to re-
ceive them. OF course, they cannot be
forced upon anybody. We make no claim
to the certificates being money-they are
only the representative Of the market value
Of the product.
I'VE are young yet-just born, you might
we have an energetic and grow
ing membership. There are tailors, fruit
shoe, harness, dress and hat
makers among us, and the farmers are
beginning Co come in. / en- rolled on far
mer the other day who has big surplus
stock of corn, which he is going to send
TO the warehouse and draw against for
supplies as he may need them.
There are lots of idle men who would
be glad OF the chance to work in this way,
GAZE CTTTT I'M