The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-13
THE OPEN FORUM
Editor NfiSSo,llian:

| fsOltCT NtlSSOuusIu.
am not in the habit Of replying t.
unsigned articles as people who air
their feelings under disguised sigma
ture are not to be taken very seriously,
but the article under the caption Pa
! triotism," signed by AN Old Timer"
| in your issue Of Sunday, November II,
is SO unsound in its reasoning that 1t
cannot be passed without notice.
IAN Old Timer" refers to the State
! University at Missoula, we assume
and refers 10 it as "yoltr university
as though il belonged to The Missou-
liam, or to some other body. To be fair
he should say "our university" He
should have an interest In it's uphuild-
ing and construction. The university
and all Of it's work is of public inter-
est. and nothing is hidden or con-
cealcd. All deals are open and above
board. subject to public inspection.
II fell to me as chairman of the stu
dent self help committee to lock after
the men who went out to help harvest
potatoes. The call came most fnrcihly
through the chamber of commerce, the
officers reporting call for help which
f&,uld not be met. The question was
asked whether or not students would
be Permitted to he absent from class
for a few DAYS to assist in saving the
crop. The offtek-came from number
Of men who needed Aklp; transmitted to
us by the chamber ns.eommerce, OF
So a day and board, and traN4pprtation
out and back. Neither we nor Na1stu-
dents set the price. II was set ty
those who made request for men and
stipulated price lower than 50 were
told what they would be expected To
do.
The notice in The Missoulian was the
first / had heard of 81 day demands.
This was not authorized by any one at
the university. All farmers who Sc
cured students through the chamber
Of commerce or through university an
thority had a clear understanding III |
the financial transaction.
About 80 men responded 70 the call |
and over 100 working days were report /
ed, or an average Of a little over two |
days for each student. II must he re- |
memb"red that this is not SO u day |
for steady job, but for two or three |
days emergency call. The amount OF |
produce gathered by these men, as |
made by their report, is large per man
per day, for which there IL q high pric. /
paid, If the owner wishes to sell Man,
of these boys worked on Sunday. al
though they did not wish to do So.
An Old Timer" is most unfair in his
reference 70 tn" patriotism Of the boys
The lads We sent out were for the
most part under u, The whole nation
has sent NJ CRY 10 parents and boys |
to stay al their work and stick by their
studies. These fellows are a manly lot.
q, fin" set If boys as the country
produces, and they are Yet boys. The
men at the university last spring
walked ont and joined the colors. They
were the first Classes composed large
" Of men fell To nothing in some cases.
These lads have come in In fill their
places and are playing the game. II is
a hard job for boys To keep their minds |
at their studies when there is so much
doing. Their blood runs fast and they
are on cdg" most Of the time. These
lads would throw their hats in the ring
At a nod. They have almost universal
IS cut loose from good jobs to <. an
education and are earning their living |
IN "hol" or IN part, as they go. The
- they got for two days work will BY I
close economy, get them something to
eat from the high priced eatables for
about one week. After that they tend |
furnaces, or any other lo@iy job dig
cling in algebra or chemistry or his
tory At night.
We believe the boys gave good serv-
ice. Personal talk with them. both be-
fore and after the work, convinced me-
they did their best. There may hay,
been exceptions. II there is blame
anywhere, 1t should not he charged to
the students. 1t rests with those who
called for help and made offers Of paw,
The boys obeyed instructions worked
where they We're sent at ths. price they
Wer" told they would get. Men not
the boys, made the terms
MORTON !. ELR0D.