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Show mm ins mm iawlv mm:m m mm Trade Experiment Is Being Conducted Upon Large Scale Operation of Moneyless Exchange System Being Watched With Keen Interest by Economists Throughout West SAN FRANCISCO, Jan.' 19 Barter has become "big bus-,i bus-,i Iness" In Utah, doing a dally business of as high as $6000 without the use of a cent In real money. Utah's barter experiment, which Is being watched with keenest Interest by economists and sociologists throughout the west, Is embodied In the Natural Development association, associa-tion, an organization with 10,000 members and branches , reaching Into California, Arlaona and southern Idaho. In size and volume of operations" the Natural Development association ! takes second rank in the west to the barter exchange system of Los Angeles An-geles county, but students of the new problems raised by the growth of barter find the Utah association unique in that it is organized for per- ' manence and is not conceived by its sponsors as an emergency measure. HAS OWN SCRIP The Natural Development association associa-tion conducts its business through the medium of its own scrip, which in some parts of Utah circulates almost as readily as real currency. Receiv- ' ing thia ecrlp in payment for his prod uce or his labor, the farmer or workman work-man is able to exchange it for other merchandise at the association's exchanges ex-changes or at the stores of merchants who have agreed to cooperate with - the association, Benjamin J. Strlngham, president of the association, believes his orgsn- ' ization will show thst it is possible for society to function entirely without with-out a "price system." Stcingham Is the author of a treatise called "Natural Government," Govern-ment," which contemplates a revl-aion revl-aion of modern society, and asserts that an ideal reorganization of so- , ciety would make any unit of ex change unnecessary. "We ahall either have to do away with the present economic system, in which money is the governing factor, or do away with modern machinery and invention," he declares. "We clsim we can make the machine produce pro-duce for use instead of profit and ' make possible an equitable distribu tion of life's necessities." Asked if he believed the association associa-tion would retain its membership with a return of normal employment conditions, Stringhsm said: "Our members hsve jobs now. They are participating In a big organization or-ganization where they are equal ' shareholders. We have demonstrated that people can work collectively to better advantage than individuals, with an equitable distribution of their accumulation." fldence that it will be permanent and possibly prove an entering wedge to a new social order. One of these sponsors, Austin Lewis of the Civil Liberties union of San Francisco, replied in this wsy to inquiries regarding possible radical tendencies of such movements: "The thing spoken of st radicalism it merely the human desire to live despite an outmoded method of doing business. Times are not going to get better. There will have to be a fundamental change. The best that could be expected is that business conditions might be 'stabilized,' which, upon accomplishment, would still leave countless thousands out of work." Barter exchanges have failed to gain a foothold in Oregon. The Red Cross operated one in La Grande early last year, but discontinued it after a short trial. Washington has one or two independent inde-pendent exchanges, but public agencies agen-cies financing relief with public or privately contributed funds dominate the situation. SIMILAR OROANIZATION A somewhat similar organization Is the Cooperative league operating in northern California, with a few acattered units in the Pacific northwest north-west and in southern California. Some of Its sponsors profess a con- |