Evening star., 1934-04-15
VESTS SELF.HELP GROUP
IS PLANNING EXPANSION
Formation of Economic Confederation,
Including 100000 to 100000 Persons,
Is Projected i'm California.

QUESTION Of a lumber supply on a
share basis to provide building mate
rials for construction Of several hun
dred portable houses. This project in
wolves almost years preliminary
work and rehabilitation Of a 3l-mile
logging railroad which taps 731 ,000,-
900 feet of timber.
In launching the undertaking the
Unemployed Exchange Association Of
this city, known as the U. x. A, will
utilize a Federal grant of $500 to
supplement its point" system Of
finances.
Originally Barter Group.
The new collective effort, despite
the use of money made available by
the Emergency Relief Administration
will continue financial system based
on the payment" of 100 points for
each hour of work. 1t is money
less" method which for nearly two
years has provided a living for ap-
proximately 5000 persons recruited
from the unemployed.
Although the U. x. A. has evolved
from a crude barter association into
complex business organization operat
ing small factories, farms, commits
saries, coal and clay mines, a college
and other varied enterprises, its man
agement has remained in the hands
of working members, with all execu-
tives elected by popular vote. A "co-
ordinator" heads each section, of
which there is one for each separate
vocation, or a total of 26, and the 26
"co-ordinators" constitute a general
assembly which is supreme.
A former general purchasing agent
for one of the larger automobile COM
panies Of America heads one section
as "co-ordinator, and half dozen
or more similar positions are held by
men once holding equally high places
in industry.
Thirty Instructors in College.
Until recently every actively en-
ployed member received the same
compensation-100 points per hour
but recently the pay Of INSTRUCTORS"
who graduate from the organization's
college was cut so per cent.
This reversal Of the customary
order of things was explained as de-
signed to prevent the college from
merely becoming an institution ito
train men to become instructors who,
in turn, would train more men to be-
come instructors ad inflnitum, with
nobody returning to actual working
ranks to apply the technical knowl-
edge gained" There are now 80 in
structors in the college, and once
week a University of California pro-
fessor conducts class designed to
instruct the instructors in the art of
tnstructing.
Construction Of so recreational
camps is part of the program out
lined by the U. x. A. This will utilize
a part of the lumber which will be
milled. Some of the remainder will
be used in trade, but the larger por-
ton will go into construction of
portable homes to be occupied by
workers at centers to be established
where harvesting Is in progress or
where there is factory or other work.
Relation Is Planned.
Declaring it has been found two
days work week is sufficient to pro-
vide food, shelter and clothing, the
U. X. A. will utilize the recreation
camps to encourage members to
spend" accumulated points there for
extended periods ''vacationing" or en-
gaging in cultural or recreational pur-
suits.
By rotating the use of farm ma
chinery in the various year-round
crops it is planned to cut overhead
costs. Where the average farmer
now uses a tractor only 10 days a
year, tractors in the jurisdiction of
the organization will be operated 100
days or more each year." an ofhcial
of the organization said. The basic
crops are barley, oats, alfalfa, sugar
beets, grain, sorghum, rice, potatoes,
onions, beans and cotton.
The organization has sent to Wash
ington 20 separate exhibits of articles
manufactured by the organization,
ranging from false teeth to needle
craft.