The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-02-10
Want to start > Community.

A branch of the labor exchange, ma
tional organization which announces itself
as "the greatest movement known to civil
ization," has just been organized at East
hampton, the charter having been re-
eeIved this week. The branch starts off
with IS members, 10 men and women,
sturdy Germans all, the men being en-
ployed in the suspender factories and are
dissatisfied with their present conditions.
The forming of this branch is the first
step in the movement by these people to
establish cooperative, profft-sharing
community, in which each member shall
contribute to the support of the whole and
share the benefits accruing. The charter
members feel that they are oppressed by
existing conditions governing labor and
they are anxious to break away from the
restraint of corporation rule and do bust
ness by themselves and for themselves.
The men are waivers, good workmen,
with considerable mechanical ingenuity.
The wives are strong and courageous;
they have unbounded faith in their hus-
bands, and are ready to sacrifice for a
time that the desired end may ultimately
be accomplished. These people depressed
and discouraged, distrustful of their en-
ployers and the power of money, are
slowly making plans for the establish
ment Of a community where they may
work and share the profits of their toll,
nd nj ~ Of 4ha ok8
ton of some man with interest enough in
the scheme to advance a few hundred
dollars to make start possible.
The labor exchange which encourages
this plan has its headquarters at indie
pendence, Mo-, the charter granted the
Easthampton branch being signed by g.
B. DeBernardi, president and q. F. Sar-
CANT, accountant.
The exchange now counts $40 branches,
only few of which are in the East. The
one at Easthampton is the only one in New
England, 1t Is said the nearest branch be-
Ing at Paterson, N. j., where some felt
hat makers are trying to plan. The men,
Der pledges himself not to enforce the
payment Of any balance which may be
due him by the association in legal tender
money, but to accept commodities or SER
vices at market price In lieu thereof. He
Is entitled to the privileges, benefits, ad-
vantages, rights and protection guaranteed
to members in good and regular standing,
and Is commended to all members and
branches of the labor exchange with the
request that sin all respects and under all
circumstances they do unto him as they
wish to be done only"
The members of the new Easthampton
branch have set their faces toward Stat
ford as the place where they desire to try
the community scheme, and are hoping
that the means will be forth oming to
make 1t possible for them to buy farm
and mill In that town which has been ad-
vertised for sale by Otis Mann. The
farm consists of 300 acres of land with
60O, 900 feet of lumber on It. There is a
two-stoIy mill As by so feet in size, form
erly used for manufacturing packing
cases, Water-power furnished by two tur-
bine wheels fed from mill pond held by
9 stone dam, two houses with 20 rooms
and q lot of live stock All this Is offer
cd for $1,000, $500 down, the rest pay.
able in annual instalments of $500. Men,
bers Of the branch already own two looms
for weaving suspender fabrics and four
horse power engine. But they can only
muster about $3.50 toward the first pay
ment. This is where they need philan-
thropist and they will do the rest, they say
The fond dream is for a few families to go
to Stafford, set up the two looms in the
mill and begin manufacturing suspenders,
for which a ready market is assured
through the medium of the exchange,
bring on the other families as the business
grows, enlarge the community when
necessary and grow in stength. The two
looms are now in operation In house Of
one Of the members of the branch, and
suspender- making is carried on in small
way In the home. One of the members
is a practical farmer, he says, and he
would run the agricultural end of the com.
munity and everybody would have enough
to eat. There will be interest in the
scheme If 1t is tried, as another illustra-
ton Of the socialist idea.-SprsssQ1fe1d Re
publican.