The Portland daily press., 1897-04-10
MONEY OF THEIR OWN.
Chicago Communists Expect to Be Able
to Make All Things They Need.

Communism in an advanced form has
obtained foothold in Chicago. A little
colony of earnest men, and women are
trying the experiment. of living within
their own resources. AS far as possible
they confine their operations to buying
and selling goods and provisions among
themselves.
| They have their own currency. which
passes in the colony the same as Uncle
Sans green backs dosin ordinary business
circles. The seller of merchandise accepts
it In payment for his wares at its full face
value, the mechanic and the laborer take
it readily in return for their services.
and the holders exchange 1t for such
commodities as they need. Real money
| is only used in transactions with out
sidsrs.
In time the promoters of the movement
| expect to be able to get along entirely
| without gold or silver coin or actual
banknotes. This condition will come,
they say, when the colony numbers
| amohg its mem bers producers of all the
necessities of life--an event, by the way.
which the sanguine ones think is near
at hand.
Instead Of forcing the individual to sink
his density as an independent factor In
society and become mere cog in the
machine they make no effort to restrain
personal actiOn-every member is left
free to follow his own trade or calling and
to conduct his affairs in his own way.
There is no surrender of private funds or
property to the general fund.
1 hnr, he
colony warehouse he is given certificates
for their full market value, and these he
can use instead of actual money for
trading purposes among his brother
members.
The members are scattered all over the
city, the most of them, however, resid-
lug on the South side. They live in
their own homes and maintain their
ia nily relations just as they existed be-
fore the individuals became identified
with the movement.
Chicago's colony is but one of num-
Der of branches of the labor axchang g
which have been recently started In yari-
Gus parts of the country under the super
vision of q. b. De Bernardo of hide
pendenee, Mo-, with the purpose of ss-
tablishin9 chain of warehouses, from
which exchanges of commodities may be
made.
One branch, at Lynn, Mass, is to man.
ufaoturs 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 part OF the west will
grow cattle and hogs.
When the chain Is completed 1t Is ex-
peoted that everything necessary to man q
support and oomforJ will be produced in
this way, and an Interchange of products
by means of the labor exchange currency
certificates will entirely relieve the mem
bers in all parts Of the country from the
necessity OF dealing with the truo barbar-
ians, who insist upon being paid for
their goods in gold or silver or bank
notes.
According to Vice President Campbell
the movement had its origin In the hard
times. Artisans and labnFers were out Of
work aud without money.
"Our position is simply this" said Mr..
Campbell in discussing the matter. 1t
is plain to every honest observer that the
working and producing Glasses are in bad
shape. To my mind there is no reason
for the condition except that the money
of the country is looked up and doesn Il
get into circulation freely enough to
meet the demands Of trade.
"Excepting those who have a surplus
of wealth to earn interest for them, the
bulk Of humanity finds It's chief use for
money as q medium for securing the
necessities and comforts of civilized life.
| l. U6y you uON6y III EcbuEu tof tu0lF lADOP
and exchange 1t for she things they need.
This being the case anything that will
secure the same result will answer the
purpose Of this class of workers just as
we'll, and it is upon this principle the
labor exchange is based. We take the
products Of the farm aud workshop, and
through the medium of our currency
certificates make m interchange of the
goods among those who need them. but
have no actual money to buy them
with. "-Chicago Tribune.