State

THE STATE Page Five July 1, 1933 Barter! Barter! Let Us Barter! By CHARLES H. DICKEY ★ "It looks like I'm never going to be able to pay that drug account.” a farmer said to my druggist the other day. "and how about letting me put you In a cord of good wood for winter use?" "Well, come to think of it." replied the druggist. ‘Til have to have some wood, so you had as well go ahead." And he did. The account Is settled to advantage to both, where otherwise It might not have been settled at all. The farmer owed the bill and didn’t have the money: the drug¬ gist wanted It paid and was willing to take It In kind. And thereby hangs a tale. Or. as a mat¬ ter of fact, several tales. For this busi¬ ness of bartering is going on all over the state and nation as It has not been in the memory of this generation. And even If the "new deal" does bring us a return to prosperity. It doesn’t take a prophet to see that an exchange of commodities will be mutually advantageous to many people for a long time to come. ”1 haven’t been able to pay anything on my church account for some time," an¬ other planter was heard to say the other day. "Suppose you take these two barrels of 'seconds’ off my hands at a dollar per barrel, give the money to your church treasurer, and let him credit my subscrip¬ tion for the same?" "That’s fair enough," said the preacher, "for I haven’t any spuds for winter use. and I guess, as a matter of fact, the church treasurer needs this mite." So the trans¬ action was made. The preacher now has two barrels of potatoes, the farmer has paid two dollars on account, and the treas¬ urer of the church is two dollars in where, otherwise, he might have been two dollars out. And come to think of it. It lias occurred to me that this simple transaction em¬ bodies a principle which might be worked to advantage in country and small-town churches. For there arc any number of good, substantial farmers who, at certain months In the year do not have cash. But these same men always have its equiv¬ alent in meats, cotton, potatoes, peanuts or corn. Couldn’t there be worked out some way. I’ve wondered, whereby such farmer could square his church accounts by bartering his products for church credit? And BARTER, BARTER During the past year or so, it hasn’t been a question of “How much money have joii golf” (be¬ cause none of us have had much money) but “What have you got to swapr There’s a lot of snapping been going on in North Carolina, and Charles II. Dickey, of Wllllamston, tells you about It in the accom¬ panying article. couldn’t the average small church main¬ tain some sort of clearing house where such valuable products could bo converted into cash? It seems practicable enough. I can’t see why it isn’t being done more generally. “Como into my smokehouse," a physician said to me in Wintervllle some time ago. "and see my line of hams. I have any number of them." "My goodness, man," I replied, "what are you doing with so many hams, and where did you get them?" "It’s like this," he said, "I've had plenty of practice this year, but due to certain conditions with which you are doubtless more or less familiar. I haven't taken in much cash. The people of the rural sec¬ tions where most of my practice Is, have plenty of hams for which they can get very little. They've been quite willing to give me hams In exchange for pills." "Well." I said. "I’d rather have a ham any time than a pill. Rut tell me what are you going to do with all this smoke¬ house full of meat?” "That’s simple enough," ho replied. 'Tve been running them up to Norfolk and sell¬ ing them to certain people and establish¬ ments there. And while it costs some¬ thing to do this. I’d rather have a net of seventy-live cents on the dollar due me, as to probably gel nothing at all. The farmer has more meat than he needs: the people in the city haven’t enough; and I need the cash. So it works out to the best interest of all concerned. For even a part of a loaf is better for anybody than no loaf at all." And come to think of it. isn’t that right? Isn't it better to get something "in kind" than probably to get nothing at all? It is; and any number of people all about over in North Carolina are getting sold on ★ the idea, and it is certainly making a very notable contribution to the solving of the economic stringency that has been upon us all for so long. "Looks like I'll never be able to pay you that charge,” an old man from the hills said to a young lawyer in Murphy. "I’ve been wondering if you wouldn't let me bring you a parcel of peas, corn and potatoes; for seems as I can’t ever get enough money to pay you.” “Bring 'em on," said the shrewd lawyer. And he went about increasing his cellar space and stocking up for the winter. For there was a good, long chance that the old farmer never would have gotten the money, though he did have an abundance of farm products he had taken from the hillside on his stony farm. And so it goes on from one end of this country to the other. Out in Chippewa, Montana, one enterprising farmer got five gallons of gasoline for two dozen eggs, five pounds of butter fat and ten bushels of wheat. A tree surgeon in Oklahoma was paid for five hours of work with ton cents in cash, a dinner and a variety of clothing. He then proceeded to turn in the clothing for things he could use. One customer of a certain stock exchange of¬ fered the official a diamond In lieu of cash, with which to open an account. In New England school fees have been paid with potatoes, and a certain editor has publicly announced that he will take any¬ thing for subscriptions except axe handles and skunk skins. Some months ago the Williamston En¬ terprise announced on Its first page that it would accept peanuts in exchange for subscriptions; down in Ocorgla a bright young dentist in the cotton belt found that whilo his business was going on as usual, his receipts were approaching the vanish¬ ing point, so he put up a sign across his front saying he would tuke any and every kind of farm products in return for his painless services. The president of Drury College. Missouri, stated he would take "cabbages, pumpkins, pickles and pre¬ serves" for tuition. And not to be outdone a preacher in Kansas let It be known that he would marry any couple for a fee in wheat instead of cash. And that Isn’t so bad: for many of the preachers will tell you that they get no fees at all.