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Show INDEPENDEN NATIONAL ORGAN OF THE N. D. A. 55 WEST BROADWAY VOL.L NO. 26. PRICE 5c. $2.00 A YEAR COOPERATION ONE OF IDEALS ft OF RELIGION Silt GIVE AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN We take the following from a Community Chest ad. While we believe we have a better way than charity we realize that a condition and not a theory confronts the public in the face of winter and so the next best thing is to, the right thing must be done. It Is Hard for a Hungry Citizen to Economic ; ' Individualism Cannot Be Reconciled With Christianity Thou Shalt Not Lend Upon Usury By WILL DOBSON There are unthinking people who imagine that cooperation ii opposed to religion. It is not. Instead of being a menace, it is on the contrary the worlds best hope for the preset vation of the finest ideals of religion. Religion, too, as taught by its greatest exponents, is an ally of cooperation. There is no logical reason why the two should not work together to bring humanity up to a higher plane of thinking ana living. The profit of the earth is for all" These eight words, found in Ecclesiastes, ch. 5, v. 9, state the fundamental principle of the Bible regarding property. Title is vested in God, and man bolds it only in trust We get this from direct statement as well as by unmistakable inference. Christs Defense of Poor In His defense of the poor and de- nunciation of the rich, Christ does not stand alone. Host of the prophets of the Old Testament are aligned with him in bitter condemnation of their extortions and excesses. Interest on loans, in those days called uiurv, comes in for especial condemnation. Interest taking was almost universally; outlawed by the nations of antiquity, and it was not until the Reformation that nations began to make it legal. Boses commanded his people: Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent Be a Good Citizen. The boy whose stomach is empty cannot be expected to do good work at school. Babies undernourished through another winter may be handicapped by frail bodies through life The hungry father of a hungry family is hagdly the man to seek employment with persistence, or to do well on the job when he gets it Before you can save a mans soul it is often necessary to feed his body. You have no right to expect the civic virtues of patience, courage and honesty from starving, freezing men and women. If they preserve a just attitude towards the laws of the city in which they live, it is a miracle. This winter, as never before, it is the duty of all who are well-claand well-fe- d to help the less fortunate. The fact that you gave last year, and the year before, does t lessen your responsibility. d, well-house- d, LLANO NEWS GIVES N.D.A HALF PAGE HOW THE NEWS IS SPREADING Lake City, Utah, Friday November 18th THE PAPERS RULES PERFECTLY NATURAL Natural Flow of Necessities Must be to All Parts The naturalness of the N. D. A. may be compared to the blood stream, or circulation of the human body, when it is deficient or wrong, all is deficient and wrong. When it is healthy and natural all parts of the body are healthy and natural. We used to number among our friends a man of fine physical proportions, strong as the proverbial lion, and many there were who envied him his almost perfect physique. One day we read that he was ill and confined in a hospital. At the first op- we went there to see him. Sortunity almost too late. He was alive but had lapsed into unconsciousness and could neither see nor speak. The heart was so weak and the blood stream so reduced in quantity that fluid could find none of the its way to the extremities and he was dying from the head down and from the feet up. There was healthy life only about the heart, and there only were the tissues being fed, all the other tissues were starving for lack of healthy blood, and, of course, he died. Science knew of nothing that could rectify the heart and give health and color to the blood. What would the family not have given to find a way to do that and to prolong life. life-givi- ng The Comparison The economic life of our country may be likened unto the life of that man. The nation, strong and vigorous as a giant in the days before its blood stream, the circulating medium, was congested and hoarded and centralized in Wall Street and its agencies. There is weakness in all parts of the body politic except at the centers, or the heart. The life stream is not reaching the extremities, or the masses, and only the tissues near the centers are being fed and kept alive. If this condition continues the same thing must happen to the nation that happened to the man. If the heart, or center of the nation does not become capable and willing to send the blood stream, circulating medium, to all parts of the country, every extremity, there must needs continue the present stagnation and eventually total extinction of the system must result. What then must be done to save the situation? We must put a new and natural heart into the national system and build up a healthy and natural blood stream that will serve all parts of society in a just, and equitable manner. The necessities of life must be gathered at the centers and made to flow to wherever needed. This can be done through the N. D. A. and until it is done in that way there will be no relief from depression and stagnation. The editor finally got a break by being asked to furnish a write-u- p about the N. D. A. for the Federated Press of New York, which serves pa peri aggregating a million and a half circulation. Upon' receipt of the write-u- p it was sent out to the sixty. papers represented by the Federated upon usury. (Deut ch. 23, v. 19.) Press and good news reaches us Again, in Exodus, ch. 22, v. 25, we about the publication of the matter. find: If thou lend money to any of The llano News of Newllano, La., de my people that is poor by thee, thou votes a half page of space to the artishalt not be to him as an usurer, and among other things, along neither shalt thou lay upon him cle, with the complete article, says usury. To attempt to quote all such Editor G N. Lund of the Progrespassages would make this article too sive Independent, N. D. A. newspaper, long. One more instance is well told how the new economic faith worth giving. days work to jobless. While Nehemiah was governor of brings 40,000 Radiating from Salt Lake City and Jerusalem, his people came to him spreading rapidly is a new economic complaining that the nobles of the faith based on the slogan, Human city, having loaned money on lands Welfare, Man Above Money, which ana vineyards and taken mortgages, is neither socialistic nor communistic, were exacting usury on the loans, but aims to break the strangle-hol- d which the owners were unable to pay, of capitalism and bring about the nahence were losing their property. tural and easy flow of the services NeAnd I was very angry, says and commodities so necessary to huI their cry. hemiah, when I heard of the assoman welfare. A rebuked the nobles and rulers and ciation's activities survey been released has evYe exact said unto them, usury, by the Federated Press to its million ery one of his brother. . . . Restore, and a half readers." And then it goes this even I pny you, to them, day, on and reproduces the article. their, lands, their. vineyards, their If we could get such a break with the also their houses, oliveyards, and the dailies here at home, but never GOOD NEWS hundred part of the money and of the a line has been permitted to percolate FROM CANADA that the wine and oil, ye corn, the their capitalistic armour. But through them. exact of soon a that we venture prediction Then said they, We will restore The Cardston News of .Cardston, will be glad to pay some attenthem, and will require nothing of they Canada, edited by D. O. Wight, gives tion to us. thou will as do so we sayest them; the Natural Development Association in its news cola splendid write-uIsraels Cooperation No attempt has been made by the Dr. June Smith umns and liberal editorial mention in tbe issue of Nov. 10. He sets out in Israelite historian to give a complete Leaves for Boise detail just what the N. D. A. is, tells detailed account of the system of co- of its growth and the extent of its acoperation under which that people Dr. June B. Smith left Salt Lake tivities and developments in. a way lived, but that they had a form of cooperation is evidenced by the follow- Wed., Nov. 16, en route for Boise that is very instructive and interestwhere she has been requested to con- ing. He concludes his editorial as foling from Deut. ch. 24t v. 5: When a man hath taken a new wife duct her course in psychology of lows y he shall not go out to war, neither and the Art of Living. By this system they hope to shall he be charged with any business; The many who have taken her course, the evils of the money system, but he shall be free at home one year locally, know how very genuine, prac- such as graft, greed, fear, confusion, and shall cheer up his wife which he tical and helpful this course is in pro- war and all kindred evils. The money hath taken. Evidently his support ducing immediate and remarkable re- system, they, argue, has wrecked evduring that year was a community sults. We feel sure a big success ery civilization on the face of the earth since the days of Adam, their charge. awaits her in Boise. The Bible attitude toward riches In connection with her lecture rise and fall being recorded in the and the rich is stated in 'many pro- work she will also present the N. D. history of the world. Three American systems have risen and fallen by verbs, some of which are here quoted: A. system of cooperation. He. that is greedy of gain troub-let- h Mr. and Mrs. Stringham left Salt it, also Egypt, Rome, Tyre, Sidon and his own house; but he that hateth Lake Sunday for Logan to visit Mrs. Babylon, pnd now today, with interbribes shall live. mother, Mrs. Sorenson, national trade, and modern means be-of He that trusteth in his riches shall Stringhams who is very ill. They expect to re- communication and transportation as a fall turn in a few days. We join them in ing so interwoven, the world, unless Give me neither poverty for immediate recovery of whole, is going down to chaos, hoping riches. the old order changes and a new and their beloved mother. He that hath pity on the higher system be established. happy is he. N.D.A. Bowling League Better is a little with righteousness Everyone is urged to attend the than great revenues with injustice. Open Forum Meetings at &S0 each He that oppresseth the poor The N. D. A. Bowling league got Wednesday Evening at 55 W. Broadhis Maker, but he who hath under steam last Thursday evening way and discuss your opinions. on the needy honoreth Him. at the Ace Bowling Alleys, 246 So. mercy - "Better is it to be of a lowly spirit Main street, with 16. men in the linewith the poor than to divide the spoil up. Considering this the first game with the proud. of the season, the boys showed very Rob not the poor because he is excellent results. Geo. S. Hoggan poor; neither oppress the afflicted in copped the highest scores: 14 pins the gate; for Jehovah will plead their for the highest single score, and 465 cause, and despoil the life of those pins for the highest single scries. that despoil them. Highest team singles went to the Contact department with 541 pins; Jesus Emphatic also high team series with 1461 pins. "Weary not thyself to be rich. When we come to the words, of Ernest Gilley, Marvin Becker, c. White, A. J. Hoggan and several othJesus, we find him still more emphat- ers deserve honorable mention. and ic in condemning individualism There is very much enthusiasm cooperation. True, He shown teaching by the entire line up, some of wished to establish it by conversion rather than by law, but He made it 'whom have not bowled for a number to His followers that they were of years. This is good, clean sport Jilain all things in common, and and if you think it is not, come down and watch the teams any Thursday they did so. From the day of Pentecost on, All evening at 6:45 p. m., for rooters arc needed. that believed were together, and had sold and their common; all things SUCCESSFUL DANCE. possessions and goods and parted The Dance at the Eagle's Hall Frithem to all men, as every man had need. Evidently they did so in com- day evening was attended by 200 words to the people and the receipts of the evening pliance with Christ's advised to sell amounted to 400.00, one of the best young man whom He successes ever put over on N. D. A. all and give to the poor. Scrip. (Continued on Page Six) p. "Self-maste- ry vt FOR HUMAN de-ro- THERE Inasmuch as important letters, not addressed directly to the editor have gone wrong or come in too late, and numbers of mailing stencils lost because of not being directly handled, and other matters gone somewhat awry, it becomes imperative for us to make a few rules as follows: L All mail matter pertaining to advertising, subscription, news and editorial matter, must be addressed to EDITOR PROGRESSIVE INDEPENDENT. 2. The editor, must be directly consulted on all important matters pertaining to the paper. All bills contracted or agreements made must, to be authoritative, be indorsed or okeyed by the editor. All news matter, from whatever source must be sent direct to the editor. We invite news from all units. 3. All receipts must bear the printed or written signature of the editor. Complaints of whatever nature must be made direct to the editorial office. All units are authorized to take subscriptions. The enforcement of these rules will not hamper nor hinder any of the good work of advertising and subscription men, reporters and editorial contributors, but will help them. We aim to work in perfect harmony with the organisation and every line of the paper is for its promotion and advancement Every officer, worker and member will receive a square deal. We are enough to acalways cept counsel and constructive criticism. Yours for the success of the N. D. A C. K. LUND, Editor. open-mind- A CORRECTION Farmers Must Be Helped to Start Anew Editor Progressive Independent: Will you kindly make a correction? In my article of October 21, advocating nation-wid- e organization on the Rochdale plan of cooperation in order to, among other benefits, get massed action in support of Senator Fraziers bill, you have me say, three years of SUFFICIENT aid. This should have been "three years of INSUFFICIENT aid," which entirely changes the meaning. May I make brief reply to objections raised by some good comrades, and especially of Herald of Coopera- tion, Oakland, Calif.? When submitting- the article in question to you I also sent it to the Herald. Brother Clark returned it, declining to print as they were opposed to all bonds. So am I, for that But we face facts, not matter. theories. The fact is that thousands of people are today rushing into colonization projects; thousands more will do so in the coming years while capitalism is struggling back to normalcy." These colonizers are paying inflated values, or promising to, inflated interest, struggling to get a any kind of hold that promises security. The Herald ignores facts, and dwells on future actions of the New Era that may be five ten or more years in flowering from the bud stage. By my plan the struggles and hardships of colonizers illy equipped with cash, housing and tools will be done toe-hol- d, tail-hol- d, away with. I would aid colonizers by federal financing to land in large tracts, to housing, tools, water, gas, electricity and telephones. The mere belief that in some indefinite future Socialists will win power and, possibly, repudiate the enormous load of capitalist bonds, mortgages, etc., doesn't justify us in turning "thumbs down on any and all measures of sound relief in the here and now. Else why urge people to cooperate NOW? Why not urge all to pe pa tient and submissive and wait for the Sweet Bye and Bye? "It is for to laugh, teacher! Further, the farmer must.be helped to start anew. He must either start as an individualist the main source of bis present trouble. Or he must start as a cooperator in all that the and conword implies nation-wid- e trolling his product from planting to the final consumer. Much more could be said but this must suffice for the present.. Yours for the Cooperative Commonwealth, Orvis Ave., San Jose, Calif. ABOVE MONEY N EDITED BY C. N. LUND. 206 Scott Bldg. 1932. TO THE VICTORS LOWEST PRICE IN 300 YEARS Farmers Get Practically Nothing for Products Says the Literary Digest of Xnv-vemb- er "Wheat plunges to a low and is on a par with sawdust. Corn is selling at 4 cents a bushel. Good grain is shoveled into stoves as raw fuel. And, as if the terrible story told in these words was not enough, the paper mentioned goes on to quote the We know grain dealers as saying: the reason. It is a case of the United States and Canada having more wheat than the world needs. Worst of all, the people are expected to believe 12: .11)0-ye- ar such rot. The United States and Canada do not have more wheat than the world needs, not by any means. The trouble is the starving millions of the world do not have money with which to buy the wheat. That is as true as anything can be. In practically every country in the world, most especially 'in China, Japan and India, people are crying for bread but have to go without because they do not have money with which to buy bread. The masters of finance have their hands on the world's throat and will not let money circulate among the masses as it should. If every hungry person in the three countries mentioned could have just one bushel of wheat furnished once in six months it would take up all the surplus now on hand and all the surplus that could be produced every year. The editor feels positive in the belief that if every hungry person in the world could be furnished with a pound of whole wheat bread a day there would be within a week a demand for wheat at decent prices. And, better still, tbe human race, now lagging and floundering before its muddling leaders, would begin to take steps toward bringing about the best day the world has ever seen. Let us repeat: There is no surplus of wheat if it were properly distributed; a pound of whole wheat bread a day to every hungry sould would take up the surplus and raise the price. And this can be done by using a natural system of distribution instead of an unnatural system. Congratulations to the victors in the political landslide. We wish them well, everyone of them. They are entering upon a period of official life wbicb will be very important and perhaps extraordinary. They arc confronted with such opportunities for service as come to few men in this locality as well as in the nation. We hopefully trust that they will measure up to the duties and the opportunities and feel that they are taking over a public trust. It must not be. thought that, because we arc not in politics that this paper and the organization for which it is published, are not interested in the government of city, county,. state and nation. We are very deeply interested. Our hopes arc here; our future and our posterity are here, and therefore, we are for the very best possible government, one that guarantees safety, security and happiness. We shall do our best to uphold the hands of the elected officials as long, as they manifest a sincere and an abiding interest in human welfare. We trust, too, that N. D. A. will become strong and powerful enough for them to lean upon in some of the troublesome times through which they are bound to pass. Success unbounded to the victors. CONNECTICUT ASKS FOR N.D.A. WOOL POSSIBILITIES IN CONNECTICUT The following letter received from ConnectiRaymond R. Neri in far-ocut shows how the leaven is working and what possibilities are opening before the N. D. A.: November 10, 1932. Progressive Independent, Salt Lake City, Utah. Dear Comrades: I got a copy of your paper at the New York Cooperative convention and I also received a copy from you a few weeks ago. I like it very much and I am enclosing a $2.00 money order for a year subscription. If. you could send me some sample copies I may get more subscribers. I believe an N. D. A. would work in this town if we could only well BAN ON GOD start it. RUSSIAS How did you start aiuljiow would you advise us to start it? Could you send us a sample of your scrip? (Literary Digest) The woolen mills in this town arc God must be out of Russia in five using in normal times about a million years. The decree has been signed by pounds of wool a year and one of Stalin and others who have such mat- your men in Xcw York told me that you could send us that much wool in ters in charge. The expulsion is the ultimate objec- a year. If the quality of the wool is be used in the local tive of a five-yeplan of atheism, such that it can agree on some reported by a special correspondent mills, perhaps we could of the London Morning Post. As the exchange, directly or through the of Yellow exchanges correspondent quotes the decree, it runs: Springs, Ohio. Send me a small sam-il- e of your wool and. who knows, On May 1, 1937, there must nut remain on the territory of the U. S. S. may be something can be arranged. Fraternally yours, R. a single house of prayer to God, RAYMOND R. XERI. and the very conception God will be banished from the boundaries of the Soviet Union, as a survival of the N. D. A. Representatives Middle Ages which has served as an Leave Oakland instrument for the oppression of the working masses. Mr. W. M. Wilkinson and Dr. EdThe Soviet government has been mund Gale and wife left Salt Lake struggling against God fur some Monday, Xov. 7, cn route for Oakyears, and has destroyed unnumbered land, Calif., in response to a special churches and made bonfires of sym- request to organize an N. D. A. unit bols and icons. Apparently the battle there. Mr. Wilkinson lias done a is far from won. deal of organizing for the N. great In the first year of the fresh cam- D. A. and we know that the people paign, the correspondent tells us, it is of Oakland will be highly pleased proposed to suppress all religioitt with the services of such competent schools and to deprive all the servi- and experienced organizers. They intors of religious cults of their allow- tend to visit the various cooperatives ances of food and the necessities of in California and present the N. D. A. life. In the capitals of the Soviet system to them. Dr. Gale and wife Union all the churches and prayer-houswill remain in California and devote of all religious communities their time in promoting and organizare to be closed by May 1, 1934. ing N. D. A. units. A shock campaign will be launchIt will not be long now until we ed in the second year against religi- shall have representatives of the N. ous centers in family life and the of- D. A. in every state in the Union. ficially registered communes of the faithful (the former monasteries) EnSpecial attention will be devoted to People in Downey the inculcation of reasonable unbethusiastic About N.D.A. lief among the masses. N. D. A. meeting was recently-helAn The second half of the plan will be in Downey, Idaho, by Mr. G H. devoted to the consolidation of the results achieved by the activization of Curtis, at which the N. D. A. Exd the units, and to the con- change system was explained. The version of former churches into clubs, people were very much impressed and the picture-houseand. other places of asked many questions concerning organization. They wanted to know"reasonable recreation. how units were organized and if .it would be possible to organize one in Marsh valley. A committee was afterwards appointed to take the matter in hand and we expect them to call for an organization soon. ff ar Mid-We- st for es anti-Go- HARRY W. MANGOLD. 591 WELFARE-MA- s, is no reason why we should not most happy people that ever lived on the earth except our inability and lack ofknowledge to use the blessings granted unto us by a just God. Benjamin B. Stringham THE FUTURE A social system or institution that greatest operates no longer for the good of the whole people has no logical reason for existing. Such a system will eventually lower the standards of a people, and, if continued long enough, it will destroy civilization. . . It is the duty of every man and woman to help correct a bad social system. You may be a member of a cultured leisure class, but eventually your class will be. absorbed by a degenerated society. The problem of reconstructing this civilization, that produces poverty, insanity, criminals and weaklings is your problem. You cannot, and you must not ignore it. You cannot escape the result of an inferior people, for it is other people g that contribute to your own and to your growth. Cooperative Farm Bulletin. well-bein- A STUDY IN NA- TURAL N. D . A. Is Solution of Trade Problem Once Set in Motion It Soon Gathers Support By WILL DOBSON Every community grappling with the problem of surplus farm products and business schedules can use the N. D. A. system of exchange. Every town where tradesmen lack the volume of business they need can soon create that business by organizing for the use of scrip. Wherever there is business stagnation there is a field for the new economic half-capaci- ty plan. The first requirement for organization is a group of farmers and tradesmen converted to cooperation. They must.be fully convinced that cooperation. is their only hope. If they are cranjng their necks around the corner looking, for an approaching wave of prosperity, they are too capitalistic-ae- d to organize for cooperation. Once they realize that prosperity must come solely from their own organized efforts, they are proper material for members of the N. D. A. This group of converts need not be exceptionally large at first if the list covers a wide variety of trades, services and occupations. Preferably there should not be too many of the same trade at first. The wider the selection of trades the better. The unemployed without special readily utilized skill cannot be brought in until the growth of the unit creates a demand for their labor. How to Cooperate As. soon as. a few farmers are made acquainted with the variety of services the assocjation scrip will buy, they will be easily persuaded to trade their surplus products for it and avail themselves of the services of the doctors, dentists, painters, laborers, and tradesmen of all sorts that accept scrip for services. With this produce a store can be opened, and the new unit is born. This accomplished, the spread of the unit is a matter of time. The more services brought in, the easjcr it becomrs to add still more. Experience has proved that a vital factor in the new unit is the accountThe bookkeeper ing department. must not only be competent but also able to think in terms of scrip. For this reason, it has been found that, to operate smoothly the bookkeeping system must be installed and operated for a time by trained men from headquarters. These men have been initiated into the system developed and perfected at the headquarters in Salt Lake City, a. system adapted to the scrip circulation. The members of a group under process of organization should remember that they are pioneers in a new economic territory and must he willing to undergo, at first some of the hardships of pioneers in any field. Not that these tests of loyalty and backbone, even at their worst, will anywhere near approximate the deprivations suffered by the unemployed. They are only minor drawbacks which give the true cooperator a sense of satisfaction in having overcome them. There have been cases in the history of organizing for the N. D. A. when it appeared to the organizers that a certain community could not be converted. But in every case patience and determination won out and once the ice was broken succcsf was easv. The Ideal As an ideal of the human soul, cooperation has existed for many ages. It remained for Benjamin Stringham to make it practical. In attacking this problem he has gathered around him men of experience and ability. These men have developed every detail of the new cooperative system in the economic workshop of actual op- eration. They no longer have to say This can be made to work.. They can point to the association in operation and say, "It docs work. In the light of the efficiency the association has attained, no group of need cooperative-minde- d anywhere hesitate longer to organize. N. D. A. is no longer an experiment. It has solved a vital problem in this community. It can do the same in any other community where that problem .1 exists. It is not for those who have plenty but want more. It is not for him who would live off the labor of his brother. It is for him who is willing to live and let live. WORD FROM M. W. WILKINSON C Mr. M. W. Wilkinson writes that he, in company with Dr. Gale and wife, arrived in San Jose, Calif., Nov. ' 10. He reports that on account of. the flu epidemic, all tbe schools ape closed. However, he says that lack of finance probably has a great (leal to do with the situation. Several enthusiastic N. D. A. meetings have already been held and they plan to visit the various cooperatives and present the N. D. A. system to them. Oakland has requested that an N. D. A. unit be organized there. At the present we have twelve N. D. A. units. The one at Oakland will make thirteen. Jin mmrnm 1 |
