Other Worlds / A story concerning the wealth earned by American citizens and showing how it can be secured to them instead of to the trusts

by Lena Jane Fry

“I further explained that as members of our society they had an interest in all the wealth created, whether it was fruit trees or buildings; that fruit would pay for any necessary article or food needed. I tried to make them see that it was just as good as money to them and represented a part of their wealth. I succeeded at last in making them see that when they worked for the society, they received their wages the same as when they worked for an outsider, with this difference, they still retained an interest, for the buildings represented the value of their shares in the society, and that the materials they spoke of were produced in the same way. I told them we were already making bricks and producing lime and also had a sand suitable for mortar, which were brought within the control of the society by the industry and perseverance of individual members, who over and above actual necessities were leaving all they produced with the society, for knowing it was safe and that their labor was as valuable to the society as money it could be entered in the books to their credit; that we kept an account of their labor as the banks do of money. Before another year, I told them, we expected to control a lumber district and saw mill, for all classes were awakening to the necessity of protecting themselves and their own labor, which is wealth, and they never could do so under any other system, and all other exchanges were meeting us half way at least.

“The wealth each member creates belongs to him or her individually and by the society’s holding its value would be increased to a greater extent than if held separately. As the society increased in numbers and resources the necessity of money would decrease. When I made this explanation one of the men wanted to know if they did our building what they were going to do for cash with which to support their families. I told them they could come out here and live, if they had to pay rent in the city, for we allowed them to build tent houses to live in during the summer, or until the permanent brick ones were built, or until they owned shares enough in the society to entitle them to live in the apartment we were building. I tried to make them see that the economy they could practice would be more to them than big pay in the city. A little inconvenience at first and patience would place them on their feet in a short time and their homes would be secured with almost no expense. Being able to buy food where it is grown, cuts down expenses to a very small amount comparatively. When I told them this, one of them acknowledged that he could see that they would have less expense, but that they would still have need of money. ‘You bind us to take all we earn in scrip or shares for our labor?’ one of them asked of me. ‘Certainly,’ I said, ‘that is the protection of the society.’ But I told them they could buy money with their scrip. ‘Oh,’ they cried, ‘it is money that we want.’ ‘All right,’ I said, ‘if we are in need of you, we will send for you, but I don’t wish to raise your hopes, for we have so many among our members who want something more substantial than money. You can’t eat money,’ I continued, ‘but you need a home and clothing.’ I tried to make them see that our members, according to our rules, come first, and that the society wanted men and women to create wealth and those who knew enough to keep it for themselves instead of giving it to the capitalists. The society was formed for the concentration of the wealth produced by the industrious and for the purpose of bringing it to one center; then all can have the comforts of the public buildings, etc., at less expense than their earnings would eventually secure them a pension in their old age. I pointed out to them the tent houses and told them that some of these people own enough shares even now to live in the first apartment houses that are built, but they intend living as they are during the summer so that they can save for their temporary shares. This was a surprise to them all, and one of them said, ‘Well, I would have enough to keep me for life, if I had not been unfortunate.’ Then he told us how one day he had lost every dollar. ‘I was taking the money to the bank,’ he said, ‘and stopped in several places on my way and when I reached the bank, it was gone. It represented the savings of all my life. I had just gotten it in one lump, and intended investing it again in another mortgage. When I found it was gone, I was nearly crazy, I admit. Now you see I need money, not scrip.’ Then I asked if he was sure he needed the money most, and told him about the member who had lost his all last fall. You remember, Nellie, the one who had saved right from the beginning to the society, the one who preferred scrip to shares, and only left with us sufficient to secure the right to vote. He liked the scrip best because it could be drawn out like money and he could always get money for it. Well, when he was done working for us he obtained other employment at good pay and saved it. He had so few expenses while with us he had saved the most of his scrip to buy food direct from the society and also clothing from our members who could use it in return for their food stuffs. In this way, he had more than half used up the scrip. You remember, Nellie, when the treasury bank failed all the money he had saved was in it and he had lost it. He took all the scrip that was left and went flying around to different members to get it cashed so he could pay his rent and have car fare until his salary was due. Well, he was a nervous sort of a fellow, and by some unlucky chance he lost it, then came to our secretary like a madman to prevent any one else from using it. Immediately all members were notified that the scrip of certain numbers was lost and were forbidden to use it until it was returned to the owner. It was found, but the money he had in the bank that he prized so much more, he will never receive. Had he used it to buy shares in the society, he could never have lost it. I explained to them that we had no debts or mortgages, and if any one tried to use scrip that did not belong to them, they could be very easily detected, and now the man who lost his money goes to the other extreme and changes all his money into scrip or shares to make sure that it is safe. And it is safe, for we are represented by thousands already who are accumulating wealth and bringing it to this center city we are building and it is to be invested in factories, warehouses, dwellings, etc., where the earnings of the members can be saved for their own use.”

CHAPTER VI.

“The society receives the profit over and above the expenses incurred for buildings, improvements, street pavements, etc., or any necessary expenses that are required for the convenience of the colony. Out of all the profits so obtained, there is still a balance that is used to increase the standing wealth of the society. Then I told them to look around and see the buildings in the cities and to realize if they could how few are owned by those who built them. The society not only secures to every member a profit on his earnings, but the net earnings of the society as a whole. When a man plants fruit trees and is paid for his labor his individual claim is satisfied, but the society owns the fruit each year, and the same applies to their labor in the building. The society will exact rent from the builder, if he should occupy the building until he owns sufficient shares to represent his right to occupy the house, and the man who plants the fruit trees belonging to the society will have to pay for the fruit of those same trees, if he eats it.

“Then I explained that the society must own everything and govern its own interests, and when they realized its strength, they were sure to desire its protection, for each individual is a part of the whole. The buildings alone are a sufficient guarantee. You have direct returns for any amount you leave with the society, no matter how large or small, I told them, and those advantages are not given in any other society. There is no bank to fail here. I said, ‘My friends, money is not wealth, for money scatters your wealth in most instances and gives it to others. You need your labor, which is really your wealth, protected, and that is what we are doing.’ Then I asked, ‘Do you still want money for your labor?’ The only one who answered said, ‘I don’t know. You have a good theory, but—’

“At this point, an old member came in to see the treasurer and naturally the attention of all turned to him, for he had his hands full of scrip that he wanted to exchange for money. The men listening to the transaction were amazed at the large amount the roll of scrip represented. ‘Oh,’ said one of them, ‘then you do use money. I thought you only used them homemade tickets and that they were no better than milk tickets.’ ‘Neither are they,’ I said, ‘nor are they any better than railroad tickets. We use our “tickets,” as you call them, to protect our interests; the railroads do the same. If every one paid the conductors the companies would often be robbed (except with five cent fares.) Those large combinations study economy in every way and so do we. In signing our agreements to pay for your labor in scrip or shares we do it to protect the society, but very often we haven’t as much scrip as we have money, so we do pay a portion in money at such times. Then of course we know at the present time, you need it for some things that we cannot supply, so we usually pay you a percentage in coin. We cannot even issue scrip until we have its worth, either in product or some wealth that would redeem it. This is where your labor is valuable to us all and scrip becomes a medium of exchange and is safer than money, for it cannot be lost as money can, but each year our standing wealth will increase and of course every season will find us in a position to issue that much more scrip as well as shares. That is the way millionaires were produced. It was the labor of the people. They banked their money, the banks loaned it to the rich and in turn they became millionaires by speculating with it. We have no right to their wealth now, though, for we gave it to them. Now we are producing for ourselves and intend to keep these millions for our own necessities.’

“If we didn’t have the land to build upon or produce building materials, or grow our food, we couldn’t issue scrip as we do now. It is from the ground that our wealth comes, but labor is required to produce it. After we had first secured the land we were ready to bring those here who could work upon it and those who were capable of making good roads. The Government granted us such a small sum in comparison to what we needed that of course the real laborers came first. Now we need you builders.”

“Well, what have they done about it?” Nellie asked.

“As they realize it is about the only way they can live, now that trusts and combinations are hedging them in on all sides and strikes are only bringing them poverty in the long run, the most of them have arranged to come. Some have actually signed to do portions of the mason work, and I expect we will be getting the buildings erected immediately.”

“Did you read those letters, Nellie?” Tom asked.