The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-04-10
LOAFERS IN WAR TIME
By EDWARD MOTT wOOILEY
Copyright 1918. American Defense
Society,"

one reads a good deal in the news
papers about the scarcity of labor,
and we hear serious predictions con-
corning the dineuity farmers will have
in planting and harvesting their crops
yet in travelling about the country
and in recent months ] have covered
the United States from coast to coast
Il have observed large mum bers OF
men who seemed to have no occupA-
ton at all In my own part or the
country. the region adjacent TO New
York, | believe that IN Any thousands
of men are practically loafinG. am
informed in certain factory towns tnat
a considerable per cent OF young anu
able bodied men are living on the
earnings of their wives and women
relatives-and in some instances on
the money brought home by their
mothers Work has been so plentiful
for women in these industrial centers
that this class Of men consider 1t UNI
necessary to do any labor themselves
or at least they prefer to do as htlie
as possible
have often stood In front or the
motion picture theaters along about
B O'Clock in the afternoon, watching
the outcoming throngs OF people, ana
have been amazed at the large pro-
portion OF young men who apparently
are in sound physical condition me
other day l asked a municipal ofhe'ai
in a large Industrial community no"
1t happened that these young men
were able to spend the whole alter
noon in a picture show when We We're
reading continually about a lahor
shortage,
The shortage would he less acute,
he answered. 'ff something could be
done TO make these men work, The
community Is fun Of men who are idle
by preference. and the money they
spend at the picture thcaters and else
where ia earned by he toll OF women
who work long hours In the factories.
! It's a buring disgrace that tins sort
/ Of thing should exist. and il Will be
+ more than Disgrace n these men
are not made TO work during the SUM
mer on tho farm whore labor viii be
50 much In demand"
/ Now / do not cite this situation
/ with any intention Of advocating the
/ conscription az labor at the present
time | don't pretend to say whether
such a law would be feasible or not
! 4 do sav that some sore of census
ought to he taken In every such com
muntty. vivjng a reasonably accurate
/ Idea as to the number of men who
| are sinking the responsibilities of
! this great war crisis. Then having
/ ascertalued the facts. every moral in
dueree should he brought to bear
/ If no legal steps could he taken--to
make them useful In the new emcf-
gency confronting us
Moreover. I have made II my task
to observe tho employees In large
number OF confectionery and soda
/ stores. and have found that hundreds
Of young ard husky men are doing
| like this by women. ] have often
F, wondered what was going on In these
fellows heads as they skipped around
in white aprons making milk shakes
and serving chocolate frappes.
What we need int his country. espe-
ciaIIy in realization of the fact that
we are at war. and that every man
ought to he spending at least part OF
his time in the cause.
As I look at IT, this problem Of get
ting men whore they can do the most
service ia partly matter Of loca'
community patriotism. A great ueaI
can he done to wake men Up by the
local press. churches. public gather
ings and societies. and by the creation
Of that subtle thing known as com.
munity snirit. The class Of men
have been talking about ought 10 I've
shamed into doing things more
Worthwhile, They ought 10 be drag
god into the Hmelight,