The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-01-03
His Clear Thinking, the Result Of Sob
riety-THe Secret OF American
Success

from easier 5 tEDglISnl Magazine some
passages from a series Of articles by pro
minent American engineers and business
men on the question Of American com
petition, IN which most Of the writer's
agree that Americas success in the man.
ufacturing world is due to our superior
workmen. The article is, inciden tally,
the greatest temperance lecture we have
ever read The following brief extracts
will give an idea of the arguments pre-
sented:
Mr. Walter Mcfarland, of Pittsburg,
says: at appears that the American
wOrkmen are much better time keepers
and far less given to dissipation than
those in Great Britain. One Of the best
firms of British shipbuilders, which has
had no trouble with its men for years,
recently stated that there is a loss Of
time, amounting to nearly 20 per cent,
due largely to drunkenness. If anything
approaching these figures is true gener-
ally, there can be no surprise that Eng
lish) firms open to competition from well
managed American works should have
hard time" In inquiring into the cause
Of this greater sobriety Of the American,
the fact appears that 20 years ago bust
ness interests IN the United States paid
no attention to the effect of the beverage
use Of alcohol or OF tobacco on working
ability. About that time the now al
most universal study Of physiology, which
includes, with other laws of health, those
which relate to the nature and effects Of
alcoholic drinks ard other narcotics, be-
gun to be a legal requirement for all pu-
pills in the public schools Of this country.
During the past ten or fifteen years
the children have been carrying from the
schools to the homes Of the 100000
people Of the United States the story of
the evil nature and bad effects of alco-
holic drinks and other narcotics.
As a result of the diffusion of this
knowledge the railroads Of the United
States now almost universally refuse en-
plOyment to men who drink whether on
or of duty.
Hon. Carroll D. Wright's labor bureau
Investigations show that more than 70
per cent of the employers Of skilled labor
in the United States require total alb
stiDance Of their employees and so per
cent Of the employers Of unskilled labor
/ demand the same. These requirements,
the cordial acquiescence in them by the
employed, and the commercial suprems-
cy which this knowledge helped to Sc
cure to the United States, have been
promoted by the truth taught in the
schools that alcoholic drinks iIjure work
ing ability.
The different reception given by work
men to the employers demand for alb
stinence where scientific temperance is
not taught in the public schools is well
illustrated by the following incident:
The manager of the Borsig factory in
Germany recently posted an order for
bidding the wOrkmen to bring into the
| factory beer or spirituous liquors or to
drink the same during working hours.
The wOrkmen, numbering over a thOus-
and, held a meeting and objected to the
order. The next day they conspicuousIy
carried in their beer. During the excite
ment caused by the order a pamphlet
appeared by an old factory official who
affirmed that the use Of alcoholic drinks
was detrimental to the labOrer's own in
| terest. He referred to the cleverness and
sObriety Of the American wOrkmen which
makes them able to do very exact and
precise work which he says is not pos
sible in Germany industry because Of
the drinking habits Of the labOriDg
classes. The American workman does
not resent the employers demand for
abstinence because ne has learned,
often from his child in the public schools,
that alcohol not only dulls the brain but
weakens the nerve control of the muscle
that is necessary to the precision essen
tial for fine work.
The nomination for knighthOOd Of Sir
Hiram Maxim, the American born in
ventOr, for his work in England was one
of the last official acts OF. Queen Victoria
In an article IN the June number Of the
Worlds Work, Sir Hiram furnishes in
direct testimony to the same point.
While describing the results Of the Eng
lish trade unions. he adds:
The English workman spends a great
part Of his earnings IN beer, tobacco and
betting; he has no ambition OF course
not, for beer in dulling the brain dulls
the ambition. The American work
mar" he says, @Eishes to get on; he &C
complishes a great deal more work in a
day than other workman IN the world"
He does not drink" says another Eng
iish writer.
England Is beginning to see the differ
ence IN results between occasional talks
BY temperance advocates to school child