Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-12-18
If a Man Will Not Work"

we tuluh dul was flRnt Wnen he Sdlu.
"If "A man will not work neither shall he
eat. DIR. Washington GLADDEN., in a
recent Outlook" has an illustrated arti-
Gle describing "a certain Boys Republic"
III New York state. The poor boys from
the city come out upon farm provided
for the purpose and spend the summer,
earning Their way by work and getting
health in the fresh air. They receive so
much per hour for work on farm and in
garden, pad in the currency of the Re
public, and tins currency Is receivable
for meals, lodging and all commodities
III the general store, and for deposits at
Il bank of the Republic They have "A
r. gular legislature. police force, court,
PRISON, etc, under their own manage
mont One OF the laws-the one ON ac-
co int OF which this reference to DR..
uladden's article has been made reads
as follows: "lf "a felel wont work, he
slant eat" Probably the lawmakers
did not know how close they had come
O II. Pauls scripture rule.
Thus law IN particular works we'll in
the Boys Republic. Why not outside?
here Is no other compulsion, and none
other is needed If "A boy will work aud
lay up his mouey in bank or elsewhere,
good bed If he is lazy, or even if he is
industrious, but improvident, wasting his
money on sweetmeats or nonsense, he
pays for II once or twice by going hungry
or sleepy with no good bed and soon
I sees the errors of his ways
y wish our older lawmakers could
put this law in force in all the states,
cities md villages of the land. In Cuya
hOga county, O., the infirmary and the
workhouse are both over.full aud the
outdoor relief fund is very low. In sum
nit county the poor fund Is overdrawn
and the township trustees lately met
with the county commissioners to devise
means OF providing for the poor the com
ing winter at less expense, and the
county issued bonds for $50, 600 to re-
lieve the poor fund. Similar facts exist
iii many counties. \ considerable part
of the outside relief coal, flour. etc } will
be given to those who have refused to
work tins past fall for what the farmers
could afford to pay. Apples, oats and
corn were very large crops in northern
Ohio, but the prices were only half OF
fOrmer rates; and still men, to orr know
ledge; refused to pick apples or husk
corn or help III threshlng at less per day
than just about what they received III
flush times, preferring TO loaf around the
villages and then "comc upon the town
for coal and Hour to keep their families
from suffering; and the same farmers
who worked early and late and portions
Of those apples and corn went even then
To waste because they could not afford
TO pa, the prices asked for labor, must
now pay taxes 10 keep up the poor fund
70 help support these very men. In
some WAY the farmers and other tax
payers would like TO be able TO say to
such men C?) "If Teller wont work, he
slant eat.
That want usually grows ont of an un-
willingness TO work for living wages Is
also shown by the following facts: Large
numbers of men (?) tramp and beg for
food End lodgings, bat as rule they are
unwilling TO work for either. In some
cities and towns the councils have estab-
lished yards where men can hOnOrablY
earn meals and 10 lging by saving wood,
splitting kindiings or breaking stone for
the road reasonable time Such towns
are soon wholly abandoned or summed
by the tramps. In our opinion arrange
ments should be such that IN all our
towns and counties help should never he
given free to the able-bodied. The rule
should be "lf feller won't work he
shant eat" The aged, unfortunate, in
firm,-those really unableto work should
be helped That is burden enough for
the Taxpayers. Let the wise law OF the
Boys Republic be made to prevail
among men also. The farmers at least
viii say amen. Ohio Farmer.