The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-04
TOO MUCH PLAY


audience that eve give too much
time to play"
Does the doctor refer to the seven
million women who have to go out
from their "homes" to slave In mills,
factories and stores In order to keep
from starving, or to save their loyed
ones from hunger7
Or does the "public-spirited" man
allude to the million children OF this
great nation who are introduced to
work Mt an early and tender age" In
order to swell the unearned dividends
OF those who, like DR.. Manning, be-
lieve in letting the dollars work ca
while they sleep7
IS PLAY CONSTRUCTIVE?
"Work 10 constructive, play Is
not. Play takes as much force
and energy az work. We give too
much time to play."-Dr Man
ming.
While one would not expect DR..
Manning to inform himself on matters
Of political economy. one might rea'
sonably demand of doctor" at least
some elementary knowledge Of ply.
siology and psychology. But even In
so simple a matter as the relative en-
ergy expended in work and play, DR..
Manning betrays his ignorance.
"Dr." Manning asserts that work
is constructive, play Is not"
Now II there Is one thing In the
world on which all intelligent medical
men agree, 1t Is that energy expended
in play is far less destructive OF vital
tissues than the same energy expend-
ed In work--especially the monoton
GUS toll OF the average wage Garner.
Fatigue is due to a specific poison
ing of the nerve centers.
Work causes far greater precipi-
tation OF the poison of fatigue with a
given expenditure of vital energy than
play.
But Or" Manning gravely informs
us that Work Is constructive, play
Is not"
Play 10 constructive; work, mere
drudgery, or toll, as work must be
for the vast majority Of wage-slaves
Is destructive: as performed for the
profit mongers. work poisons the hu
man body, causing after time per
manent fatigue.
Play is constructive. It's effect is
to build up vital tissues.
Every physician but DR.. Manning
knows this.
Every student even Of the most ele
mentary psychology knows this.
Play is mot constructive" so far as
building up unearned incomes for the
employing class is concerned. Dol
lars will not work for DR.. Manning
while he sleeps and the wage-slaves
play. Only work, and being worked
Is Constructive" in the one way that
the typical exploiter can see things
When work is done for oneself, fol
ones own comfort, pleasure, or salts
faction,-not to be worked by the dol
lar,-it partakes largely Of the nature
Of play; hence it becomes far less
enervating than ordinary toll for the
bosses profits.
! Under Socialism, all work will be
largely in the nature Of play, of re
creation; hence no one will be averse
to it. People will welcome the rev
necessary working hours, that is, the
productive working hours, the making
and distributing of life's necessities
and comforts, as they now welcome
relief from burdensome toll, for pro-
fits; usually the other fellows pro-
fits.
When the brains of man are no
longer poisoned by the fatigue of bur
densome toll, their hours of leisure
will be devoted to constructive recrea-
ton in the form of products of art,
science, literature, and music.
Under Socialism, the fatigue of toll
and the ennui of idleness will both