The Washington herald., 1915-10-15
Equal Opportunity.
BY JOHN ID. BARRY.

A young friend in New York CITY cam. - NJ.
I one day and told me that he wanted to oct into
newspaper work I've heard it's pretty hard 70
10 do:" ''u aa''se nc
had known good many young men with
similar ambitions and was aware of the difficult
would hunt up news and sell it to the newsnansrs
They are always eager for news. In that way YOU
will show the editors what you can d."
., For weeks he worked industriously. Occasion
much money; but he was getting experience.
Meanwhile, however, he was beginning to iosc
heart. He couldn't land job. Yet his work was
good 1t showed that he had unquestionable sbil-
One day ell-known man of my acquaintance
came to New York; We lunched together in a
editor of New York daily. Ny friend had known
the editor years before, when they were both re.
porters in Chicago. 1t happened that Just before
the meeting had been telling about that boy.
The two men had few moments of reminis-
cence:., Then my friend remarked. "Oh, by the
way. I've just been hearing about young fellow
who is trying to break into newspaper work. He's
very clever. Can't you use him."
The editor shrugged his shoulders carelessly
and 7i said; Send him up to my Office any day.
I'll give him job"
The next day l introduced the boy to my
friend who gave him card of introduction to
that editor. That afternoon the job was secured
The boy has held it ever since. He has made
good.
l told that story few nights later to a group
OF men, some of them social workers. others
writers, and still others not much of ANYTHING
worth speaking Of l tried to make it perfectly
impartial in tone. as though it were merely a
casual occurrence.
l wanted to see what the effect would be on
the group
the curses of civilization" he said.
A bright young social worker looked at him
in amazement 81 can't anything the mat
ter with that little incident" he said in tone of
challenge. "Whats wrong about it,"
The writer slowly drew his cigar from his
mouth and blew cloud of smoke. WELL" he
said. somewhat rudely. thought, that's the kind
of thing you see or you don't see. There's no
use in explaining. it
1t seemed to me that the explanation was
simple enough AS that young social worker
marked, there was nothing wrong with the Incl
dent; that is, there nothing wrong in what
glad the episode occurred naturally At the same
time l deplored its meaning. 1t was one of the
many illustrations found in everyday life of the
element of chance.
1t was chance that enabled that boy to secure
his start. But for chance he might have been dis
heartened driven to seek work he might have
been wholly unfit for. Chance gave him pull ;"
Here stumble upon another factor as seri- |
ous chance, perhaps more serious: Pull"
The pull that came to that boy by chance comes |
by certainty to other boys who have no more
right to it than he. |
1t was not chance alone that got the boy his
Job. 1t was chance and pull together. In other
words, it opportunity. And to secure op- |
oortunity many a boy has to wait for chance.
The saddest circumstance is connection with the |
incident is that to millions of young workers,
quite ambitious and in some cases quite as |
clever as that boy. chance never brings oppor-
unity. |
Equal opportunities for all" Haven't we heard |
hat phrase before? Surely it has familiar sound
Do you ever reflect on its meaning? How are we |
going to secure it? 1t would seem as though all
he forces of life arrayed against it. And
hink of the waste involved! Equal opportunity
means the highest development of the personal
,owers of society.
Can there be such development under present
conditions where chance and pull" have such
power?