The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-03
WORK AND PLAY

IneTe a curious duOuldly III hu
man nature that it is slow, very slow,
10 do work of which the regard is an
intangible, indefinite, possibly remote
result; but call IL play and the crowd
fiocks to it, batters at the gates to
pay the price and gain admission to
the game.
Tom Sawyer was deep philoso-
pher, profound judge of human ma
lure when he made whitewashing
Iirandma's fence seem particularly
desirable and enviahe task.
ASK the average citizen to give
his time and report, even his money,
to accomplish something for public
welfare, something that will not
bring him any immediate personal
gain, that will not emblazon his
name in the newspapers as a public
benefactor, something perhaps that
the public will never know thing
ABOUT, anu see Wiidl you So NV -
thing but an excuse that perhaps
isn't even a good one.
Ask the average citizen of citizens
to devote a day and five dollars to
bring about better conditions for in
FAINT welfare, and the answer is all
the way from a cold stare to polite
refusal. Make it a society function
and the same citizen and citizeness
will give days and nights and dol
lars and think they are doing the
Lords work. They will be lavish
with their money to amuse them
selves, and if there's anything left
after paying expenses, the babies get
it. But the main thing has been ac-
complished and paid for, in that So
ciety has played new game and has
been amused for an hour.
Now, there's a rule or regulation
against men and women amusing
themselves with golf or dancing or
the cabaret or in any other way with
which their consciences doesn't IN
terfere. Play makes and keeps the
world younger. There is no Oojee-
ton in the world that the net prof.
its of an entertainment shall be
given to improve health conditions
for babies or for those who are tot
teripg on the verge of eternity. All
contributions thankfully received and
no questions asked.
But why is it that men and wom-
en- who will give directly to be
amused (the net profits going 10
will not give an equal
amount of effort and cash directly
to the same charity without the in
PREVENTION of the amusement chan
mel? The net results to charity
would be from five to twenty times
larger. OF course, the only exh'''fa-
tion would be the reward Of con-
science, for there wouldn't be any
narticular amusement in it, 1t would
be hard work, not play. The benefits
to charity would be advanced a hum
bred times faster, helpless children
might the sooner be given fair
chance in life; the evils that attend
them in the surroundings of poverty
and ignorance would be bettered so
much the sooner.
In other words, why are not the
people of Florida, the men and WON
en- who have been fortunately placed
in life, where they may, if they will
do something worth while for the
sanitary elevation of their respective
commuaities--why are not such mel
and women willing to undertake
such work? The query applies no
alone to the people of this state
| it has a meaning for all states ant
communities.
Life is pretty serious matter
after all, but the serious side ism
continuously forced upon the atten
ton of those in homes of elegance
even of moderate comfort. Suherln
comes to all at one time or another
but to some it is an always presen
specter. 1t is within the power OF tn
fortunate to relieve much of the an
guish of the other half. Most OF tn
blindness in the United States is tn
result of ignorance of those whe al
sist the newborn child into tn
world. A large share of the diseas
that increases the community deaf
rate. starts in insanitary SURROUND
ings, insanitary because Of ignoranc
If you are willing unselfishly to
YOUR part to lessen such condition
if any part of your time or you
money is available for such wor
without the medium of play
amusement, there are a hundred Of
portunities and there are those WI
can show YOU where these opport'
, mites lie.
, Florida and many commumniti'
in Florida are blessed with men an
, woen who are doing this work Ill
, selfishly unobtrusively, withol
homo of reward this side the Pear