The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-13
THE SCIENCE OF KICKING.

TFrom the New York SUM-
THE janitor is not attending to his
business, John. she said. when they
had finished dinner and settled down
for the evening
Isn't he?'' he asked.
You know he isn't she asserted
Hes never to be found when he is
wanted. and some mornings he doesn' t
begin to get the steam up until after
o'clock"
Yes; believe I have noticed that, .
he admitted.
And the outer hall is in a shameful
condition" she went on. I really think
you ought to complain to the agent
about that"
Ought I?' he returned.
Yes, you ought" she said. ''They' re
just letting this building run down.
I'm sure they're using a poorer grade of
coal than ever before, and the smoke
and coaldust are doing all sorts of
damage. On Washday 1t seems to me
the clothes get dirtier when they are
hung up to dry than they We're before
thew went into the tubs. You ought to
make vigorous protest against the
continuation of existing conditions"
But don't like to get the reputation
of being a kicker he answered. 1t 3
mighty annoying to be so regarded, and
after a time all kicks from one who is
known as a chronic kicker lose force
and are ignored. tried it in the last
fiat we occupied, and L was in hot wa
ter all the time. When a man once
starts in trying to keep things up to
the standard there's no end to the
worry and bother, and I'd sort of like
to live in peace here and keep on fairly
good terms with the agent and the
janitOr and every one else. It's so
much more comfortable
But if you don't stand IN for your
rights you never will have things as
they ought to be-"
oh [ don't know about that he
replied. There are a good many ways
OF bringing about desired results. Just
let me alone for a few days and I viii
see what can do for you"
The next morning he timed his de-
partUre so that he went down town
with a man in the next fat, and in
cidentally asked him if he had ex-
perienced any trouble getting heat in
the morning and if it did not seem to
him that the heating plant turned out
an unnecessary amount of smoke and
COalduSt The man in the next fiat
admitted that he had been thus an
nOyed, and, his attention being thus
called to the subject, he talked 1t over
with his wife that night. Then the wise
man found an opportunity to ask an
other tenant in an Offhand way what
he thought of the condition of the main
hall. The other tenant thought it ought
to receive attention from the landlord
or the agent. In the course of the next
three days the wise man succeeded in
directing the attention of two other
tenants to the condition of affairs, and
these tenants talked with others. The
more they talked the more evident it
became to them that something ought
to be done and that the agent ought
to do it They had been mildly dissatis-
fed before, but by the end of the week
thew were indignant.
Meanwhile the wise mans wife be-
came impatient, but he treasured her.
Don't worry, he said. 1T will be
all right"
And it was The agent said it seemed
to him that there was only one man in
the building who wasn't a kicker, and
if he had anything to say about it he'd
give him a reduction of rent if neceS-
caT RI at
May.
And that" said the wise man, is
what comes of creating public senti-
ones SELF