Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-07

, dressmaking, cooking. laundry, ETC., is a
penny q cents) a week.
THE boys and mems clubs are crowded.
We have a Parliamentary Debating So
ciety. conducted on the rules of the house
OF commons, similar officers and all The
men are elected to constituencies. Bills
are introduced and debated according to
regular order. It's an object lesson in
civic government and it is astonishing
how those men take to it. They under
stand just what is going on in the gov
eminent They follow everything. They
are intelligent voters. A large percentage
of our British workmen know nothing
aoout politics and will throw a vote for
a glass of beer but they aren't like that
in our village.
1--WE have a Householders' association,
too 1t elects village council which looks
after the welfare of the village in all its
details. In earnest? Well, you should see
them. When we decide that anything is
actually necessary TO the welfare of the
vfllage-anything we cannot do ourselves.
We report to Mr.. Lever. Then the thing is
DONE 80
Il suppose there is no public house in
the village"
mo: there Is a beautiful inn but no
liquor IS sold in It. However, we are only
half mile from village where There
are public houses to spare"
do you have much trouble with drunk
enness among your men?"
practically none. know that sounds
improbable, but 1 know what / am talk
ing about. AS a matter of fact, the men
are so comfortable and so we'll entertain
ed in the village that they don't seem to
care to go anywhere. where they would
get liquor. Then public sentiment Is
strongly against drink. The men know
they have a good thing and don't want
TO risk their jobs or make themselves I'M
popular 1 confess it is surprising to me
to find how small a number Of the men
drink at ALL
IF one doesn't reform he is dropped
from the works."
81 suppose he would be dropped II he
proved hopeless and moral suasion failed
to straighten him out, but give you my
word I do not know of such a case in the
history of the community. Certainly there
has been none within my time. Pubic
sentiment and example are powerful
forces, and life Is so clean that tnere Is
little temptation.
i've told you about some OF our amuse-
ments. We have smokers, concerts, lee
lures We are building summer theatre
on the continental plan where man may
go with his wife and sit out in the open
and see a good, clean play well given. We
have a band of our own, a fire brigade OF
our own. We have three good shops which
supplv all necessaries and are run by
committee of the people for the benefit of
the people. If the women want more elab-
crate shopping 1t is only four miles to
Liverpool. didn't tell you, though, that
a free accommodation train is run from
Liverpool for the benefit of the employees
who do not live in the village.
Are any religious observances obhga-
tory?" Mr. Gamble-Walker threw back his
head as If at a challenge.
Nothing is obligatory, nothing save de-
cency. A man must be free man. so
long as man does good work and lives
decently, he is free as air. He need do
nothing he does not choose to do. try
to make religion a part of the village life.
Most of the men are interested In the
church, particularly in the talks dealing
with social Christianity, but they are their
own masters. Long ago found out that
prayer meetings and sermons are not the
alpha and the omega Of religious work.
believe that the measure Of our social ser
vice is the measure of our acceptability to
God. I am giving my life to social service.
in that belief %
The Englishman had warmed into en-
thusiasm. He is tall, slender. trifie pale,
but no ascetic. His gray-blue eyes set
rather wide apart, look at one squarely.
At first glance. he would not impress one
with his force. Talk with him for five
minutes and you feel the flood Of determi-
nation and nervous energy that moves
him. He is not desperately in earnest,
but nationally in earnest. no fanatic, no
dreamer of Utopias. but a level-headed
worker in social fields.
II went from the Manchester slums to
Sunlight from the Internal pit to a bit of
heaven" he said. NJ was needed where
1 am. 1 believe the object lesson such
a community shows to all Of England VIII
hurry on what must come.
do YOU know our slums? There are
none worse in the world, and the worst OF
the business is that most Of our slum
property is owned by our wealthy men,
who give largely TO charity. Giving
money won't do Once let the working
people of England realize that they have
a right to be decently housed and the bal
lot will wipe out the slums. But that
means education, that means industrial
betterment The workingman's vote
must become intelligent first.
at is the only solution; I feel absolutely
certain OF that. Every atom Of my study
and experience points to 1t. Mutual con-
fdence between employer and employed;
there is the one thing necessary to sue
cessful industry. We have 1t at Sunlight.
There is no feud between man and mas
} ter. AS one of the workmen said to me
the other day: Wen, we can't get along
without Mr.. Lever, and hanged II he can
get along without US.
1--WE a notion you will develop the idea
faster than we, but If I've got a right
idea from my books, you've one problem
to face that doesn't bother US. Your
workingman makes money too fast, and
wants to climb, climb; climb. irrespective
Of the sort of foundation he has laid
Possibilities are too great for content
here. We have some Of the same thing,
but our men of that type have less chance
than yours, and become sulky, disconten-
ted. vicious However. the mass Of our
workmen would be contented to do good,
49, al faArs
ditions. hope I'll know more about
what yours want after I've been among
them for eight weeks"