The daily banner., 1918-05-01
CUT OUT USELESS WORK
The Only Effort That Counts Today
Is Something That Helps Win The
War.

War.
We all know, in a general way,
that some men are engaged in non
essential work in every town in the
country In Athens, Ga, census
was taken to find out the exact vast
age of muscle that could be turned
to war work. 1t was found, accord
ing to conservative reports, that the
non-essential house servants alone in
that town of 10000 people, could
furnish the labor for cultivating
enough land to produce at moder-
ate yield, $4,000 bushels of corn.
There is only one test to apply to
any human effort today for the de-
termination of its value, and that is
Does it help win the war?
Usually within a few hours ride
of towns where men are engaged in
work that is utterly useless from
war-winning standpoint, there are
farmers seeking labor to produce
crops-crops that will help win the
War-cropS without which we can
not win the war.
In every town local public senti-
ment can cause these non-essential
workers to go TO farms and help win
the war.
Do you suppose Hindenburg is
losing sleep over the surplus servants
in Athens, Ga? Do you suppose the
Kaiser worries because a town of
10000 keeps enough useless house
help to produce $4,000 bushels of
corn-IF they We're on farms? But,
when Athens, Ga, actually has 49,
600 additional bushels of corn to
show for the work of the useless ser
yants-when every town in this coun
try has taken husky men from such
jobs as running elevators, standing
in liveried glory in front of hotel
doors, checking grips, driving taxi
cabs and doing a score of things wo-
men can do or the public can do
without or individuals do for them
selves-then the blasphemous brag-
CART of Berlin and his companion
butchers will find in Athens, Ca,
something fearful and foreboding-
something to give them the dread
that comes to ell beasts when they
sense the real arousing of superior
foe.
Your town is Athens, Ga. Every
town is Athens, Ga. That particular
place is named here merely for the
sake of illustration, because it hap
pens that Georgia extension workers
took a careful survey there and the
figures arn available as substantial
tion of general statements applicable
to practically all towns in the coun-
try. You Enow we can't win the
war without food; you know food
can't be produced without farm la
Dor.
AS long as yoJr town continues to
employ men in 1on-essential work,
while farmers in the county need
help, you haven't gone to war! You
may buy Liberty Bonds and give to
the Red Cross, but you are not at
war when farmers seek help and you
continue husgy men in needless
work. Your windows MAJ fly proud
service flags, but you are contribut
ing to the Hun effort to crown with
sombre crepe those brave banners.
After the survey Athens, Ga, was
Have you boy in camp or fight
ing in France? He is washing his
own clothes, perhaps, doing his own
dressing, cleaning up his own place
of abode and working many hours
per day in the midst of danger. He
is doing these things without useless
servants. Are you better than your
boy? Do you want him to do your
fighting, and be his own servant, and
at the same time go hungry, because
your surplus servants were not sent
to farms to grow food for him?"
You must answer that. Your
town must answer it.
Apply the acid test: Is this work
of war value; can the man now doing
this non-essential work do valuable
work on farm? On that basis Ath-
ems, Ga, found between 800 and 500
men useless1y employed in town of
10000. For example, the survey
shows forty licensed chauffeurs, with
the conclusion that thirty-fve are
non-essential. Women could take
their places or owners could drive
their own cars. These men handling
farm tractors would be really help
ing to win the war. Eight men were
running elevators, all of farm quail
fications and all listed as non-essen-
tial, because in another office build
ing in Athens, girls are already run
ming the elevators most satisfactory
ly. Eighteen males who make their
living shining shoes were listed as
non-essential workers upon the
theory that neatly polished shoes in
Athens, Ca, do not help the Ameri-
can Army break through to Berlin,
whereas these eighteen strong men
at work in the fields to produce food
will help us to win-the Athenians
shining their own shoes the while, if
necessary.
And so the survey continued thru
various fications-useless de-
iverymen, soft drink dispensers, sur
plus servants. And farmers not far
away desirous of labor to produce
war crops.
Will your town do as Athens, Ga,
declared it would-turn non-essen-
tial town workers to an activity that
will really amount to something in
this war?