Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-11-06
Labor and the
War
r.
By ROBERT GRANT
OF The Vieilantes

(Robert Grant, judge of the Probate
Court of Boston, author of Unleavened
Bread, The Chippendales, An Average
Man, and other novels, and one of the
overseers of Harvard University, is
one OF the most distinguished members
of the American Academy of Arts and
Letters.)
Only two classes have been benefited
financially by the war: the people with
material or products essential to it's
conduct and the men and women
whose earning power has doubled or
trebled through the departure overseas
of the young, able-bodied men of the
nation. Some large sums have been
made by the dealers in supplies which
the government. required; but congress
may be counted on to take care of sur
plus profits henceforth until the re-
turn of peace. Yet for every proflteer
Ito prepetuate an ugly word for
lack of a better) in munitions or mer-
chand1se there are a hundred thou
sand working men and women who are
on easy street for the first time in
their lives because of the advance in
wages. While people on a fixed in
come, such as clerks, school teachers
and letter carriers, are having diff
Guilty in making two ends meet, nu-
merous employees of one kind or an
other are, comparatively speaking, In
clover.
The sensation is an agreeable one
and no one begrudges it to them; GER
tainly not in the first flush of prosper
.ity when the desire to buy things,
which they have never been able to
afford and always hankered after,
makes the dollars burn in their pock-
cts. One has only to inquire in order
to ascertain that business in many
lines is going on as usual, not through
the purchases of old customers but of
a brand new set intent on diverse
minor luxuries that one associates
with q full purse.
- The Heyday Of Labor.
In sense this war period is the hey
day of labor, for the reason that an
army of people of small means are
better off than they ever were before.
late the patriotism of their brothers
who are giving their lives magnifi-
Gently in order to crush soul-stifing
militarism and safeguard democracy,
their watchword must be thrift, not in
diligence; they must inculcate saving,
not spending. Except by rigorous in
dividual self denial and the dedication
of the savings of the mass to the
cause of world liberty the war can
not be won. We are all Of US. in the
trenches or can be if we choose by do
Ing what the government asks of us,
and the Stacker is he or she who hav-
ing the opportunity for service is too
sordid or light-minded to rise to it.
In the first place we are asked to
forego or to be abstemious in using
certain foodstuffs so that our soldiers
and their allies may have all that they
require. This is not much of hard
ship for anybody. Next, everyone is
implored to be as economical as he or
she can in order to aid the government
to raise the gigantic sums necessary
for carrying on the war. This is no
great hardship either. 1t is a war of
endurance, the result of which will
hinge on individual self-sacrifice; vic
tory Is impossible without cooperation
In saving by the entire nation. The
mass is not urged to give, but to save.
Millions are being given by the wealthy
to maintain the various war charities
All that is asked of the rank and file
is that they shall not put into their
mouths or on their backs the extra
money which the shortage of labor en-
ables. them to demand. When they
fail to live up to this they cease to be
|; patriots and become prof1teerers. The
next best proof of loyalty to laying
down ones life is to save. And what
an easy thing that is compared to 60
ing over the top or facing lombard
ment.
No One Should obstruct.
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