Evening star., 1934-06-25
RICHMOND RELIEF
METHOD OUTLINED
TO WORKERS HERE
Service Exchange Provides
Work for Needy in Vir-
ginia City.
INVEST LABOR HOURS
TO SECURE COMMODITIES
Scrip Used as Money in "Pur-
chase" of Necessities.
Houses Are Repaired.

Richmond's service exchange, where
by unemployed persons trade time for
scrip with which they purchase neces-
stiles, was outlined for group of Dis
trict and Federal relief authorities
today at the District Building by
Arthur A. Guild, director of the Rich
mond. Va, Community Fund.
Guild spoke at an informal con-
ference in the Office of Elwood Street.
director of public welfare. and called
at the suggestion of Commissioner
Allen The purpose of the meeting
was to promote "self-help" among
persons now on relief rolls.
AS outlined by Guild. Richmond's
service exchange is a combination of
the old Oneida community scheme and
technocracy, with community chest
angle At present approximately 600
families receive livelihood through the
Virginia capitals service exchange
Between 300 and 400 men work in the
exchange daily.
Invests" Work Hours.
When a wage Garner becomes a
member of the exchange, Guild ex-
planned, he invests" 40 hours of his
own labor in the capital of the eX-
change This initial investment may
be made in one week or it may be paid
on the "installment plan" at the rate
of 10 hours a week, this being deter
mined by the community funds case
worker.
In actual operation member of the
service exchange is given a task to
perform and is paid in scrip on the
basis of hours of labor performed
! rather than on any monetary basis
of the value of work done. With this
scrip. the members buy clothing, man
ufactured by the exchange; trans
portation to and from work on the
exchange-operated trucks, toys for
children, beauty parlor service. hous-
/ ing. food and, in fact, almost every
item of sustenance. The clothing
manufactured by the exchange is the
product of exchange members labor,
| just as are all other items of stock
carried by the exchange. In securing
housing. the system is slightly differ
ent
! The service exchange makes deal
with the owner of property which can
! not be rented. Possession of this
property is given for a specified term
similar to a lease" the service eX-
change agreeing to restore it to good
condition and maintain it in such
shape Such work of rehabilitation is
done by exchange members for scrip
and property subsequently is rented,
generally at 40 hours a month, to ex-
change members.
Four Paid Employees.
At present the service exchange is
| directed by only four paid employees.
| Discussing problems of the exchange,
! Guild said one of the chief difficulties
is to keep the scrip out Of the hands
of bootleggers. He explained that
while the scrip ostenSibly is of value
| only to exchange members, member
might buy bootleg liquor in exchange
| for scrip which he. the member, IN
| turn would spend as the agent of the
/ bootlegger. buying at exchange stores
! such products as the bootlegger might
| insisted, however that not great deal
| Of trouble is given the exchange di-
| rectors by this problem.
! Persons attending the conference in
cluded Warren B. Shear, field adviser
| of the division of self-held co-opera-
| tives. Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
minlstration: Leroy A. Halbert, acting
director of emergency relief in the Dis
trict; J. M. Barrett of the insurance
division of emergency relief, and others
prominent in emergency and regular
relief fields in the District.
/ Street made it plain at the begin
ming of the meeting that no definite
! program and no specific conclusions
are expected to result from the con-
ference, which he said was merely fact
| finding.