The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-01-27
SATURDAY.


Although there many conflicting opinions
upon preparedness there is one phase upon which
all thinking citizens agree. There ought to be as
sured to every boy and girl adequate opportunity
cornerstone OF national preparedness whether for
peace war.
Undernourished men and women, with bodies
poisoned by fatigue living in conditions deadenng
to incentive, are terrible handicap to nation pre-
parng TOR supreme effort requiring endurance and
resourcefulness. The emergencies of war have en-
phasized what overlooked in times of peace
English papers publish evidences of the awful
legacy of her industrial exploitation. Recruits
from factories, shops, habtuated to grinding tasks
and under conditions physically deeterious, did not
have the physique and the endurance necessary to
marching field work. It is stated that battaiions
of Lancashire recruits had to be kept in the open
air and ted properly before ready for SERVICE After
some months of open air exercise and adequate food
the uniforms issued to these recruits upon enlist
ment were exchanged for larger Sizes
Similar experiences have been recorded for Porto
Rlco, where the majority are undernourished Those
who joined the United States Army and were given
regular exercise, clean living quarters with regular
nourshlng meals, increase in height on an average
OF one and a half inches and proportionatelv in
chest and muscular expansion
Is 1T not an indictment Of civilization and ma
lonal ideals that adequate opportunity for physical
development are generally to be found only in the
military? We profess to hold in high esteem the
dits o peace, ana yet we permit those necessary to
those arts to be dwarfed and warped in minds and
bodies.
Our own nation has lesson to learn With the
vanishing OF the frontier and the development of
industrial centers natural opportunities for physi
cal exercise and openair life Disappeared Mean
while change Of another character has taken place
IN industrial organization. The subdivision of labor
winch makes 1t necessary for the workers to per-
torn thousands Of times in one day just one infin
teslmal part OF the whole process Of production has
had tremendous influence in stunning the minds
and bodies of workers. in addition to physical train
ing, industrial education and vocational training
must be worked out Immediately When a nation is
fighting for its life not the best time to consider
this matter, but we ought to have a wedeveloped
plan providing for ALL
Through the public schools each boy and GIRL
should receive physical training and should be
taught physiology and the fundamentals necessary
TOR good health. For students and for all, there
should be provided by school and local government
authorities opportunities for outdoor exercise and
life, SO that every girl and boy, man and woman,
could take care OF himself or herself in the open
Until we are able to keep children in school
longer than is now compulsory and to enforce school
attendance more strictly physical training through
schools alone will be inadequate 1t devolves upon
the local government to afford ample OPPORTUNITIES
Tor all and to see to it that all have time to avail
themselves OF existing agencies and facilities
National vll1lty and resourcefuness depend upon
the physical qualities of the citizens AS an en-
lghtened democratic nation we can not afford to
restrict opportunities for physical welfare to priv
legged few. This matter ought to be taken No SER
lousy and energeticaly by all central bodies.-Ba]
ti1nore Trades Unionist,