Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-12-11
DO We overdo ,.Y

From the Springfield, Mass, Repuh,ic.,
1s social life coming to be over organ-
lied? That is the view taken by a Wis
hig cost Of living is further Increased.
especially In villages and small cities. by
the needless multiplication OF entertain
almost compulsory. Every small town."
he says, sis filled with more Organizations
today thar Its actual intellectual, social.
moral ana rellglous need warrants" Wa
multiplicity. OF competing churches is con1
cerned; this rebellious professor, who
may recently have been held up for
he hated, carries his analysis Of conditions
further:
This is a problem of the man in tho
little significance in the larger cities, but
this I do know, 1t surely applies to towns
and cities Of from 1900 to $4,000. The
problem is nothing more than tina Of
mans entertainment and the manner in
which this Is furnished. There entertain
ments are put on for the intellectual
social betterment of the community. to re-
lieve the weary and careworn for q brief
period and thus make life more pleasant.
The advertisements read something like
the foregoing, but the actual fact is that
the schemes of some promoter, local or
otherwise, to procure money for some
cause; Some organization needs money,
and this Is one way of getting the public
- ENs' L liz US fGfS
worthy, the entertainment may be high
class, but the multiplicity Of organizations
IN such towns and cities has produced
such a struggle for the means of support
that the entertainments nave come SO
thick and fast that the people are sur
[e1ted and cannot enjoy the best when 1t
does come. The solicitations made in many
cases demand quite as much, If complied
with, as is actually expended for gro
ceries in the family budget"
The, community needs entertainments.
nf IL I11f fINy @1y Ia S,r+ ~ ~ mo
numerous, and they ought to be made
as good as possible. Even a small town
can afford excellent concerts, lectures.
etc, provided the people will save up their
trouble is that with SO man. mediocre at
fractions crowded in for the benefit Of one
cause or another, this potential support is
heavily taxed for what Is often rather
poor stuff. For, unfortunately, the state
Of things described has created a great
class Of public NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SIGNALS who could not thrive under any
strenuous competition, lectures with no
message, bungling musicians, performers
of all sorts that the public would not pay
to hear II not drawn by loyalty to some
carse.
Fol these people a reform would be =
other ways to make a living. and the need
of the public for really Instructive and
inspiring lectures, plays and concerts.
seem q little hard on the Causes also,
yet probably the loss would b. less than
imagined, for the waste In raising non
in this way Is great. Often when enthusi-
asm has lone It's utmost to coerce people
Into tickets. the net profits will be pitt
fully small. Moreover, the greater the
competition. the less the profits for the
organizations which promote the enter
tainments, while the tax on the public IN
creases, and with 1t the difficulty in sus-
tanning those performances which stand
sensible to give directly to the treasury
whatever modest sum was needed-say 10
or Is cents on the price Of a 50-cent ticket,
and save the rest for hrst.rate entertain
ments Of Interest and value-to all.