The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-17
Tells Brown University Stu
dents There Is Some Error
In the Old Proverb, Try,
Try Again.
By WILLIAM c. REDFIELD,

(Note-Thc following is Mr. Redhelds speech on
"Efectivensss" delivered last wednesday At Brown
University
Two opposite viewpoints are expressed
in the attitude toward their work OF two
men. One, a distinguished journalist.
prided himself in never having taken
vacation and in going to his office early
and staying late. The other, dis
tinguished physician. insisted that while
he could not do twelve months work in
twelve months he could do it in ten. 1t
is an infantile view of industry which
measures its results by either the dura-
ton or the extent of effort. History OF
general production shows that hours have
grown steadily shorter and exeruon less
while productiveness has steadily IN
creased. There is certain suggestion
of a fundamental error in the proverb,
.If at first you don't succeed, try try
again" II it is understood to mean mere
ly the continued repetition of effort, con-
slant trying is not by itself alone a Ger
tain course for winning success. In our
American rush to get results We nave
sometimes forgotten that hustling Is
wasteful Our records are full OF facts
showing that our economic and industrial
growth has been largely achieved at
cost both excessive and unnecessary.
once took an excursion in an auto
,nobiIe on a road so full Of rocks that
at times IT seemed as il the machine was
poised upon three points with the fourtn
wheel in the air. We reached, indeed
the point sought and returned in safety.
1t might be said we succeeded In our
object. II so, it was at the cost OF time
and strain, both physical and nervous.
and Of possible injury to the motorcar
which was altogether out of proportion
To tlvs value of the object gained
The automobile and its occupants that
day had a strenuous time. 1t could not
have been called an effective days WORK
Under the circumstances the motorcar
was an unfit tool. Good walking shoes
and a stout pair of legs would have been
more effective Strenuousness, therefore,
is not always-indeed suspect Is rarely
efficient. Both the hustler and the
apostle of strenuousness in effort have
become back numbers in their methods
They are today in the same category with
him who "also ran" The world has
moved beyond the creed Of effort for
efforts sake and has found something
better.
Oar HabituaI wastefu.ness.
Whole series of sermons might be
preached on waste, and with special ref
erence to our habitual wfStefulness. That
which with sad sense of humor We
call domestic economy would strike
French housewife with horror. and much
of our industrial carelessness would make
a thorough German smile. We have been
a good deal like the automobile of which
spoke We have wanted to get there
and once having arrived, We are content,
having given little thought to the pro-
cess of arriving but sn1ugly satisfied with
the mere fact Of arrival
Because therefore. our store of mate
rails was vast and because from their use
or misuse the visible\ accumulation or
economic wealth is huge, we have been
until recently rather pleased with our
selves and have used glowing terms re-
sDecting the growth of our industries
and the like. This progress along waste
full lines as regards material and effort
has been coincident also with a vast
waste of human life and with content
ment as to other losses which has shown
.. finely developed sense of hindsight- In
this process we have occasionally lost our
sense of proportion and put emphasis
sometimes on the less important thing
TO tho neglect of the vital / do not wish
to minimize in the least the need for
careful consideration to such a problem
as the proposed raising of certain railway
rates. 1t is right il should be considered
with care and determined upon its mer-
its 1t is a matter which may cost US in
the shape of increased freight rates per-
haps hundred millions a year-surely
sum worth considering. In connection
with it distinguished professional men
have journeyed far and have stayed long
and have talked much. and A public or
ganization. created at large expense, has
given for months to il great deal OF
expensive and valuable time. Incident
ally. large part of the press has been
more or less constant in criticism or sug-
gestions upon the subject. We have
taken it, on the whole, rather seriously:
and il is of course. well that we do so:
Yet while this has been going on We have
burned up quite needlessly property of
much greater value than the annual i'm
post upon the country of the proposed
increase: that is to say, that we have
without any excitement or anxiety de-
stroyed in six or seven months sum
edual in value TO the annual cost of that
about which We talk a great deal You
see our thought has been A little waste
full as well as our methods. We have
Spent a lot of it on the comparatively
unimportant II seems so obvious as to
need no statement that an annual total
cost, direct or indirect. of several hum
dred millions from needless fires should
be thought about and dealt with quite
as seriously as the matter of increasing
freight rates by a much smaller sum.
Perhaps if some other fellow were going
TO get the amount We lose by fires. we
would worry about il more. As ii is, we
do not seem TO have acquired yet the
effectiveness of thinking, which makes
US grasp either the national disgrace Or
the pecuniary loss that our indifference
to or negligence of the fire loss brings
upon us.
A Minor Phase.
Our thought is, however. not chiefly
ineffective in the direction that has been
suggested. That is one of its minor
phases. Suppose yourself transferred in
thought to a period few centuries
hence. and that you then find in a history
treating of the present Say something
to this effect. q
At an earfly stage in its social de-,
velopment, that is to say. in the year
1914 the United States showed a singular
indifference to human life. At that time
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