Like every social structure, the economic system will be built up of lesser social groups, beginning with the simplest local body of farmers, miners or mill workers, and continuing on, by successive stages of organization to the largest and most highly complex groups in the community. The nature of each of the units that enters into the economic structure must vary with the locality, with the industry, and so on, hence it will prove to be impossible to lay down any arbitrary rules concerning their organization. It is possible, however, to suggest certain characteristics that must be present in effective working units: 1. _The economic unit, which is to be built into the new society as stones are built into a wall, must bear a very close relation to the present working forms of economic life._ Ultimately, the economic units of which society is composed will differ completely from those now existing. It is quite out of the question, however, to build a new economic structure and new economic units at the same time. Habit and convention are too strong. Innovation is too terrifying and too problematical. The life of local economic units will be carried on to-morrow very much as it is carried on to-day by the masses of the people. The most workable economic superstructure, for a new society, will be built upon an answer to the question: "How is work done now?" This method of approach takes the basic economic activities of the masses of the people for granted and seeks to build them into a sounder type of super-organization than that now existing. 2. _The economic unit, whatever its size and function, must be sufficiently homogeneous and coherent so that it will retain its unity even in the face of severe stresses and strains._ That is, it must be in a state of relatively stable equilibrium. 3. _The economic unit must be autonomous--self-governing, self-motivating, and in a sense, self-sufficing._ 4. _The organization and management of the unit must make possible an efficiency in production that will supply human needs and furnish the means of providing some comforts for the population._ 5. _Units must be so organized that they will work effectively with other units in the same industry and in related industries._ Whether plans are being made for the rebuilding of existing economic institutions or for the establishment of new ones, these general rules hold good. They have as their objective, a workable social system that will turn the wealth of nature's storehouse into usable forms, and that will procure the distribution of the good things of life, in an equitable manner, among the groups that have assisted in their production. 8. _Classes of Economic Units_