The Rice belt journal., 1902-05-30
w. Q. II. u. Column.
One Factor I'm the Industrial COmpe-
tftiOn of Nations.

One Factor I'm the Industrial COmpe-
tttiOn of Nations.
The following abstract of an artice
which has appeared in papers in Bel
, GUM, France, England and, Russia,
and lately in the Merchant and Man
ufacturer, of Nashville, Tenn, will be
of interest to our readers
England and other countries are
asking for the causes of the CONNER
cial leadership of the United States
In recent symposium in Casters
Magazine on this subject by leading
American business men, most of the
writer's agree in saying that the Amer
lean workman is the chief agent. One
writer says that they are much bette
time-keepers and far less given to dis
sipation than those in Great Britain.
In the latter country in enc establish
ment, conducted under otherwise fa-
| vorable conditions, there is said to be
a loss of time amounting to nearly 20
per cent, due largely to drunkenness,
and if this indicates a somewhat gene
raj condition, there can be NO sur
prise that foreign manufacturers have
hard time against American compe-
tition.
| AS to the cause of this greater
briefly of the American work man, the
fact appears that twenty years ago,
business interests in the United States
paid little attention to the effect of
the beverage use of alcohol or of to-
bacco on working ability. About that
time, the now universal study of phys
lology and hyagiene, including the
study of nature and effects of alcoholic
drinks and other narcotics, began to
be legal requirement for all pupils in
the public schools of the entire coun-
try. Louisiana passed law requir-
ing this study in 1882
During the past ten or fifteen years,
the children have been carrying from
the schools to the homes of the 75,0OO,-
600 600 people of the United States the
story of the evil nature and bad effects
of alcoholic drinks and and other mar
cotics. AS result of the diffusion of
this knowledge, the railroads of this
country now almost universally re-
fuse employment to men who drink
whether on or off duty.
Hon. Carroll L. Wright's Labor Bu-
reau Investigations show that a large
per cent of the employers of both
skilled and unskillhd labor require to-
tai abstinence of their employees.
Il These requirements. the acquiescence
of the employed, and the commercial
leadership which this knowledge has
helped to secure to the United States,
have been pronoted by the truth
taught by the schools that alcoholic
drinks injure working ability.
Sir Hiram Maxim, in y late number
of the Worlds Work, says: The Eng
lish workman spends great part OF
his earnings in beer, tobacco and bet.
ting; he has no ambition" Of course
not, for beer in dulling the brain dulls
ambition" But England is beginning
to see the difference in results between
occasional temperance talks to schco
children and the systematic graded
school study of this subject required
by law in the United States.
At recent meeting in Birmingh am
England, addressed by Archbishop
Canterbury, the presiding officer, Mr.
Edwin Smith, said:
"We are being beaten in skill by
America. She has been lavish ir
: spending money in educating the
brains of her people, while we hav'
been lavish in poisoning them. Th'
great mass of working people in thi
country are totally ignorant of the ef
fects of drink He said that educa
ton on this subject fought to be un
dertaken by the State. Surely if tia
. State must encourage the traffic fo
: revenue, it shonld in fairness edacat
:. every child in government school
h as to the nature and danger o
a cohol and the benefits of total absti
nence. If the State will only educat
!, the children against strong drink
a England commercially may yet b
8 saved"
1t has been wisely said that ''indus
o trial supremacy belongs to that conn
d try which enjoys the cheapest mate
Il rails, the most improved machiner
e and the most efficient labor" Clea
g brains and steady nerves are neede
g for the Preparation of both materi'
d and machinery as we'll as for their us
+ VI projection. Hence, that natio
n 5rains are not dulled by alcoh'
- N her narcotics, other things belr
~ A',ill win in the worlds compel