The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-07-19
REST FROM LABOR
Toiler Needs Recreation dS Well
as Other Folks.
The EIGHT HOUR WoRKDaY.

/ Gives Opportunity For ths Thinking
I Artisan 20 RAISE F-irnseif Above Sia-
/ very-T-aas Lnionisn Offers a Broad
ana i-eIpfui line Of STUDY.
That the man OF the woman WHO
works for wages las as Just 4 right 70
I recreation anu enjoyment as 1as the
millionaire there can De 40 question
As 70 Just what constitutes enjoyment
there Is. OF course. room for wide tif
ference OF opinion. 5ut as TO the right
Of every human being brought into the
world 10 a certain amount 0f elsure
tme 20 do with as he or she may see
ir there can pc 40 ruOm for difference
of opinion between honest men
Ii s not the purpose here 10 contend
thar the ldler VINO mas wasted ais cline
IS entitled TO a specific Kind or enjoy
nent simply because some more ID
dustrlnus brother is enabled through
fruEaliry ana industry 70 take adj
vantage N certain conditions, but what
We 10 contend IS that conditions
should De sucn in the wages world
-ilat every person should be in posi-
ton 70 enjoy those pleasures when
most appeal 10 them IN reasonable de-
gree Ii other words. wUrking hours
should be short enough so that al Of
person time Is not taken up either
In WORK or recuperation. ami wages
should be high enough so thar an IN.
tustriuus. frugal head Of a family
should not be compelled TO work Ike
slave from the lst OF January 70 the
close Of December, year after year. IN
order to keep the ghost Of want away
from his door
That our scheme OF things n present
does not make II possible for merit ana
worth 10 be Justly rewarded there s
none so rash as 60 deny We have,
because Of our plan OF operations, in a
world that Is big enough AMI bOunuful
enough to give every human being
chance TO enjoy life, on the one hand
4 few millonalres. ana on the other
untold thousands OF paupers. ana il IS
certain that we will continue TO con
duct ourselves IN Just this fashion IN
d the great mass Of the people be-
comes sufficiently interested 70 study
the questions which vitaIly affect their
we'll being
The principal trouble With us IS that
We are so laZy and shiftless and selfish
that we have gone on throughout the
ages expecting the other fellow 20 DO
the studying and remedy the conditions
for us. while we content ourselves With
our own immediate interests. Remark
able as it may seem. the other fellow
has gone to work and struggled day
after day and year after year to fulfill
our wishes, but there have been so few
OF them that. while We have steadily
progressed. We have not advanced as
rapidly as might have been possible
under other circumstances.
1t would be so easy TO bring about a
more equitable condition OF affairs
than we now have If every man whose
interest les in certain direction
would but equip himself for travel over
the roads that lead TO the goal Of equa!
opportunities. It would NOT make a
great deal OF difference which road the
individual took, whether il be the road
OF socialism, single tax, syndicalism or
any other ism. II each would earnestly
study these schemes there would inal.
~ be better conditions for the tOiler
and more opportunity Tor enjoyment u
life by those who now possess no such
opportunity.
One thing, however, Is certain 20 t0i-
low a close study OF trade unloulsm.
and that Is that the w0rkdaY can 5e
shortened and wages raised through
this medium In a short time II the
members Of the union will but be ron.
sistent uni0nists. Thus the lab0rar can
gain more enjoyment for himself and
for his family without waiting for TIE
remote future.
Trade unionism Is the bread ana hut
ter getter Of the immediate present
and any man who does not desire ~
porrunity TO eat, sleep and rest has 40
business joining a union.-Labor Clar.
ion.