The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-30
LILLIAN BURT HAS
DONE GREAT WORK
L. Engaged In Campaign to Make John
Barieycorn and American Work.
men strangers.

Indianap polls. j. Ind. June 2e.-.-
Among the hosts of dry workers
gathered together at the big Anti
tsaloon League convention being held
here there Is none with better rec
ord for real accomplishment thar
Mrs. Lillian Burt, director of the
Safety and Efficiency Bureau OF the
American Issue Publishing Company
at Westerville
! Mrs. Burt, who halls from Column
bus, Ohio, has long been active In
temperance work and is never hap
i.fer than when she is doing some
thing to make saloon sympathizers
uncomforta bic
! About four years ago Mrs. Burt
be gan to think that there was some
thing wrong with the method OF
bringing the evils of booze home to
the workers In mills and factories
and to their families. Whiskey ven
Gers were having too good q time
with these people--things were go
! ing too smooth for them. She had
listened for years to long and learned
/ discourses by diverse hlghbrows with
| a ~art of the alphabet after their
names. on the rayages of alcohol.
| Brilliant treatises had been written
CT the psychological and physiological
decay that would follow in the steps
| of intemperance as sure as guns But
somehow the factory man and the
factory woman were not impressed
with all these fine words.
| Too Much Gray Matter.
| Perhaps they did not understand
what this array OF "ologies" really
meant, or II they did. could not see
just HON they applied to their own
| lives. Anyway, Mrs. Burt thought
this was the trouble and began to
work up some scheme that would
give her an effective way of reaching
the man and woman in the factory.
| An educational campaign carried
into the very factories and homes of
the workers and IN language that
would be simple enough and frank
er ough for anyone to understand
was the plan finally adopted All the
"ologies' that Mrs. Burt had ever
rsed in her former work We're thrown
IN the discard All words over three
sylla bles were outlawed. Simple
truths would be the medium through
which the interest and convictions
Of the man would be solicited.
Pamphlets were written, charts
were drafted showing graphically
what would happen If the drinker
persisted in using strong drink
Models and clay figures were bull,
lehowing the ravages of alcohol or
the unborn child: and a dozen other
thinps done that were calculated to
make John Barleycorn and the work
li7gman strangers.
When all was IN rea diness Mrs
Burt sailed forth with two suitcaset
full OF ammunition. Every shop in
her path was visited. Larger con.
Germs did not escape her wrath Su-
perintendents and foremen were
Smothered under an avalanche OF dry
facts and figures until the intrepid
little woman obtained permission tc
address the workers In the various
plants and to distribute her educa.
ltlonal pamphlets among them.
1t was not long before things be.
shn to happen. Large corporation.
and business houses got wind o,
what was happening and wondered II
II wouldn't be a good thing for theil
men, too.
| 1t was apparent that something
real was being done in an educa
t.onal way for the man at the ma.
lctine and at the bench and for tht
wife in the home. knowledge OF
the drink habit, they reasoned mean
better men, and better men mean
fewer accidents and more economy
Invitations soon began to arrive a
Mrs. Burt's headquarters in Column
bus asking her to come to their fac
ttfry as soon as possible and to brint
her new idea with her.
At the REQ Motor Works at Lans
ing. Michigan, Mrs Burt was asked
to talk to the 4,50a men in the plant
The employees were paid for their
time by the company. 1t took a weel
to reach them all. but 1t was finall.
accomplished. The $4,000 that tn,
company lost in time was fully re
paid, according to the officials, Or
the strength of the work accom-
rlished there bv Mrs. Burt a system
tatic educational work has been in
;ougurated to combat the use of in
toxicating liquors among the EN-
! pioyes of the company. and com
/ petent man nlaced at the head
Other concerns have fallen int,
line and have invited tn esafety bu
eau to help them in making alec
holic beverages unpopular among
their men. Among these concerns
are the Bessemer and Lake Fri.
Railroad; the c. o.. Bartlett anc
}, Snow Company of Cleveland; Car
HANDSOME FROCk