45 

 THE LABOUR INSTITUTION. 



THE Labour Exchange, in the Gray's Inn-road, occupies at the 

 present time a considerable share of the attention of the public, owing 

 to the novelty of the institution, and the celebrity of its founder, Mr. 

 Robert Owen, of philanthropic notoriety. 



The disappearance and dissolution of the multitude of the schemes 

 of this gentleman, for the amelioration of the condition of the lower 

 orders of this and of other countries, would argue an apparent defi- 

 ciency of judgment or of perseverance in their founder ; and whether 

 the present institution, for the removal of ignorance and poverty from 

 the world, be destined to be longer lived than his preceding projects 

 at New Harmony and Bagnigge Wells, would appear to be rather 

 problematical. The institution has evidently been commenced with- 

 out any definite or well-arranged plan of operations, much confusion 

 and misunderstanding having already arisen in consequence ; and the 

 quantity of poverty yet removed by Mr. Owen and his well-paid co- 

 directors, is certainly very small. The chief features of the institu- 

 tion are, the system of exchange or barter of commodities, and an 

 attempt to supersede the use of gold and silver, as the instruments of 

 exchange, by the substitution of labour notes. This, however, is a 

 needless and nugatory attempt, for it will be difficult indeed to per- 

 suade the industrious classes of the inutility of the usual money of the 

 world, or of the superiority of the notes of Mr. Owen and the irre- 

 sponsible directors of the Labour Bazaar. The labour notes are 

 indeed themselves paper money, of a most expensive description, 

 being engraved upon a steel plate, in the finest style of the art, and 

 presenting a profusion of elaborate ornamental emblems of industry 

 and plenty a labour note for one hour, of the value of sixpence, 

 being apparently worth that sum of money as a work of art. The 

 labour notes being also exchanged for silver and gold, at the institu- 

 tion itself, it appears that this portion of the project is at best an 

 expensive and ridiculous singularity. 



The other departments of the institution are also conducted upon 

 an expensive scale, the rent of the building alone amounting to the 

 sum of 1200/. per annum, and the various expences for management, 

 with the many hazards, from the inability or want of integrity of the 

 numerous persons engaged in conducting so extensive a concern, will 

 probably be found to be fatal to the project. 



Many opponents have already appeared against the system the 

 political leaders of the industrious classes objecting to the principle of 

 the plan, upon the ground of its rejection of politics, and its sub- 

 missive tendency to patience under the distresses which undoubtedly 

 arise from our system of national misgovernment, and which never 

 can be remedied but, on the contrary, will be very greatly aggra- 

 vated by the meekness and non-resistance of the plan of Mr. Owen. 

 Certainly, the labour exchange presents no remedy for the many 

 oppressions upon the industrious classes of this country ; for it is, on 

 the contrary, a mere war upon one very large body of the industrious 

 classes themselves the small shopkeepers of this metropolis who, 



