"The store by itself," said Norrena, "could not do this, but the financial power that can always be secured by wise business methods could. To the extent that the use of money can be minimized and debts paid, of course interest will be saved. And to the extent that consumption can be organized and concentrated, a smaller number of business houses will also be needed and thus rent saved to the customers who in the last analysis pay all the expenses. And just in proportion as business houses are not needed, they will be for sale to people who can use them, as landlords could not afford to pay taxes on property for which tenants could not be found. This property would all be needed by the organized consumers who, with their continually accumulating fund from pooling the savings of profit, interest and rent, even on a comparatively small scale, would always be able to buy. The profits on distribution will constitute an ample fund for socializing the land and furnishing employment for a continually increasing number of people."
"But," I said, "to be able to hold our own against the world-wide profit system, would require a world-wide organization."
"Do not be too sure of that," said Norrena. "The benefits of equitable exchange in a single locality, would be most decided. Of course it would be more effective if extended over a wider field. But the distribution of literature, such as the accumulating profits would enable you to make, added to the far-reaching effects of a successful object lesson, could not fail to make the organization world wide. All that is necessary for this purpose is a practical demonstration, that by this system, the productive laborer and not the money king is master of the situation."
"Is this the same plan that you outlined in your address?" I asked.
"Just the same," he said. "All that is required is such a business organization as will cover the entire ground demanded by absolute justice. It must look to the elimination, as rapidly as possible, of the elements of interest, profit and rent. To avoid the payment of interest it is necessary to minimize the use of money, and as soon as debts are paid, refuse to use it at all. To avoid profits, you must purchase your supplies and sell your products through your own exchanges. To get rid of rent, use the profits to socialize the land."
"This is certainly sweeping enough," I said, "but it seems to me, that it would be an almost endless task to induce the masses of the people to unite their trade to such an extent as would be necessary to secure the full measure of relief demanded by absolute justice."
"It certainly would be," said Norrena, "if you did not prosecute a vigorous educational work, and at the same time offer inducements that the profit system cannot afford."
"I fear that this would be impossible," I said. "The dealers with millions of money could beat us in offering inducements to catch the trade of the unthinking."
"Do not fear that," said Norrena. "They could not do that without abandoning the profit system, which is all that you would ask. As soon as you have organized trade and have a sufficient stock accumulated to meet its demands, you will be saving interest to the extent that you can transact business without money, and to this will be added all of the net retail profits. This will enable you to pay a little more for farm products than dealers can who are on the profit basis. You can safely continue this rise in prices until you pay as much as you can sell for. This will give you the entire trade of the farmers, and the usual profits on all they purchase will be a net gain to your exchange, less the slight advance on the price of products, equal to the profits of the speculators. The price you receive for farm products, will be exchanged for goods on which you will make a profit, and if you can always make one profit on the exchange you will be on the high road to success."