Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-28

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nothing about the finer points in the
matter; he wants men who can do the
work demanded of them, and he must
Judge Of their ability on purely sur
face grounds.
To some this may seem like tri-
val barrier, but il is very real one.
not only as far as the foreman is con-
cerned, but the shopman as well, for
they have feeling Of contempt for
the 'hayseed.' be he the original ar
tiele. or merely one who became such
as a make.shlft. And so the working
man tramps the streets. with all the
pride OF the skilled American work
ingman-some Of it foolish. but some
of il most CONNIE ndahle-hoping that
tomorrow will find him at work al his
trade.
The unskiiled laborer hasn't this OBJ
staele to contend with-at least. not
to ~ great a degree. he would ac-
cept a job in the country without the
sacrifice OF very much pride But
there are even more serious, reasons
as tc why he cannot 70 from the city
to the country TO help the farmer get
IN his hay. Anyone who knows the
man OF the poorer tenement districts
is familiar with a pale, narrow-chest-
ed individual, who simply could not
stand day In a hot August sun, us
ing "A pitchfork or even driving a team
II would be physically impossible for
him TO make good In a task which
would be absolutely new and which
would require more muscle than he
ever possessed. With him, 1t would
be a matter of endurance. aside from
the social questions which are bound
to influence MIN to a considerable de-
gree, and he is net equal to the Job.
There is a possibility that the immi
grant may be induced to go to the
farm, although the effort to persuade
Elm to 90 SO has net been very sue
cessful, largely for the reason That
most OF the foreigners who are now
coming 10 us lived in the city or the
town back in the fatherland. In
several of the colonization schemes
for immigrants, the foreigners found
that they were being exploited by the
promoters, with the result that the
news was carried to the remotest vii
lagos of the old country, creating a.
perjudice against the farming indus
try II will take long while to over
come this feeling
After all, this whole matter is prin-
.ipaliy of human nature. We may
find fault with ii, and persuade our
selves that the city's poor and unem-
polyed are fools. but whatever else
they may be. they are human. and
somehow. they can't very well help
that To fly in the fact of prejudice,
pride. and all the traditions OF city
life. requires greater force of char
acter than Il usually attributed to the
poverty haunted residents of the city.
II they could overcome all the OBJ
,tacles which stand in the way Of
migration to the farm, they would be
capable of making a pretty good liv-
ing in the city, under ordinary circum
stances.
What. then is the remedy? Certainly
not the labor colony, excepting for
peculiar class and for peculiar times.
The labor colony probably has. its
rlace in our economic life under the
present system. Nor yet shall it be
found il the wholesale transfer Of
the city's poor to farm colonies. Many
viii. undoubtedly find their way to
the country. and there discover life
and JOY in the open air. But the vast
majority will remain in the city And
since they are to remain there, they
must be dealt with as citizens of our
municipalities. If their lives are I'M
real, they must be trained TO learn
the true values II they are living
under conditions which debase and de-
grade, morally and physically. those
conditions must De removed, SO that
even life in tenemen; may be made
sweet and wholesome. ~ they are
IN their present situation because Of
ineficiency, they should be made more
competent. In any case, the fight Will
be lost or won in the city. We can
not shift the responsibility. The prob
lem Is ours. II is ours, whether We
accept it OF not. for the veal or the
woe Of every man in the city helps
to constitute the life and the thought