The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-24
KANSAS COMMENT
SHIFTLESS.

SHIFTLESS.
Snlrtiessness N this country is grow
ing SO rapidly that it has become a
menace Many so-called respecta BILE
people are shiftless. They seem content
when they have enough to eat and wear,
ana they don't care for anything else
Inc writer ordered an article from To-
peka factory last week The shipping
clerk gave it to the Pacific Express
company on the 18th, and it was not de-
nVered here till the 18th. Four days on
the way from Topeka to Holton-30
nlles-on account OF a shiftless messen-
ger en- route The article should have
come by mail the day it was sent,
charges cents. But The shipping clerk
was shtftless. He cared so little about
MS work that he didn't look to see that
the Pacific Express company would
carry the package around by Kansas
city and charge 25 cents. Meanwhile
the writer spent so cents trying to trace
the article by telephone. All because
the clerk was shiftless. Farmers COM
plain that it is next to impossible to
nnd hands who Will take an interest in
their work and try to earn their salary.
Instead, they slop along any old way,
with no thought, apparently, but SaturA
day afternoon off and their so much per.
Just shfftless. Housewives complain
about shiftless girls who leave dirt in
the corners and soiled dishes in the cup
board, and who show up for work in
the morning, If they are not too tired
from gadding the night before. The
great prosperity of the country doubt
less is responsible for much of the shift
lessness complained of. Anybody can
get a job now, and the pay is good. But
sometime the prosperity will wane, and
there won't be many Jobs. Then the
competent men and women will do the
work and the brazen shiftlesS ones Will
hit the pike, become tramps and organ
ize Coxey armies The modest shiftless
persons will starVe.-Holton Signal.
-tl- CEMENT.
Kansas, being one of the largest ce-
ment producing states In the country,
is accordingly much concerned in the
development of the concrete building
industry. 1t. will therefore be interest
ed in the fact that the collapse of a
building in San Francisco followed by
that of another lately in Philadelphia,
both of this material, are being clted
is Illustrating the danger OF sucn con-
struction. Concrete when properly
made is simply rock, however. There
is concrete construction in Ceylon that
is 1000 years old, and 1t Is exactly as
strong and solid today as the natural
strength and durability concrete Is SUI
perior to brick and mortar construc-
ton. The collapsing of buildings mere
and there is no reflection upon the value
of concrete, but rather upon the men
who have prepared 1T, 1t being evident
that they have failed to add the ele-
ments in proper proportion. II IT is
neither porous nor spongy, and if 1T is
given time to harden thoroughly, no
better building material than concrete
will be found.-Leayenwort Times.
PARKER AND GENERALIZATION.
Judge Alton B. Parker is out with a
speech against the Capitalization OF
power" Remember Parker? He Is
the man who centralized enough power
to make the Democratic national con-
vention change the financial plank in
its last platform, and who was after
ward hattened into the shape of thin
dime by the centralized power of pop
ular vote.-Ottawa Herald
COST OF BAD ROADS.
We have been talking good roads
for a long time fbut5we are not build
ing them very fast in Kansas. Some
way the people shy at the price. They
prefer to haul half loads through mud
and kill their horses rather than haul
full loads over pixies and, have good
horses-Lawrence Journal.