Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-20
lNCONGENIiL WORK.

In an editorial published in these columns,
| II short time ago, we attempted to point out
| some of the causes of the increase OF crime in
| this country. We mentioned thrcc-exccs-
sivc and il.govcrned immigration, growing
| infidelity, and sensational and impure lttra'
| turc. Another cause might have been men,
toned, and certainly deserves some attention
from those who are studying the subject more
in detail. 1t is tina. of uncongcniai work.
| There are thousands, and hundreds of thou
sands of men and women in this country
who are dcmoraiZcd, and rendered danger
Gus to the community, by uncongcnal work.
And of these there are two classes first,
those who have, by choice or necessity, en-
gagged in cmployments for which they are
naturally untitled o. ill-oQnipped and see
ond, those whose work is unc09genial TO
them by reason of its inadequate returns.
The first class is less dangerous than the
second, for this reason persons who are dis
satisfied with their wosk because they feel
themselves untitled for it, are apt 10 make
their dissatisfaction the means and reason
for seeking employment which shall be
congcnial to them. They are restless,
and look with longing eyes upon the
prosperity and content of others, but
their restlessncss is not often of
harmful kind. 1t leads them TO seek relief
from personal drudgery, but not by un-
worthy means. As a general rule, those who
are ambitious enough to feel a desire for the
proper kind of work, the work for which
they are suited, are too high minded to dcs-
cend TO crime and dishonesty. No stigma
should attach to man because he is not "a.
lsticd with his work, if, at the same time, he
desires better work 1t Is not from this class
OF dissatisfied laborers that the worst part of
our criminal class is recruited sllhough it
is true that uncongcnial labor Of the first KIND
docs lead to Incidence and paur If the
right kind Of work can not be sccured-as it
often can not-the very desire for it, so COM
mendable in itself is likely to react and pro-
duce evil consequences. In 50 far 10 in
dolence is crime the first class of dissatisfied
workers is dangerous class
But the principal evil is to be apprehended
from the second class-those whose work is
uncongenial TO them because Of It's inadequate
returns BY far the greater number OF dissa-
tished laborers is of this class, and it includes
In the main, those persons who belong to the
lower ranks OF society, and who are, there
fore, subject to stronger temptation from
their environment than others OF higher
rank. 1t is not so much the kind Of
work that makes these men and women
dscontented-it 10 the low, hopeless plane
Of poverty upon which the work keeps them
To illustrate, take the most disagreesble and
monotonous work that can be found, as for
instance coal mining, III man or woman
could get SEQ or $50 day for picking coal
ont of the earth in silence and darkness,
there would be hundreds and thousands of olr
best and mos. highly educated people who
would eagerly seek the opportunity to work
at even this wearing, monotOnous work, and
they would work Of it most chcerfully.
Why Because their tot. could be so quick
ly transmitted into comfort, Independence,
luxury even. The hours of solitary toll
would be more than compensated by the re.
yard. i'ut if the pay for the same work is
but dollar day ii becomes unbearablc and
slavish toll.
Most of the branches of manual labor
which require only physical strength, endur-
ance, or sclf-dcnal, us distinguished from
mechanical SIX arD undprnaid Tho 10 OF