The Washington times., 1919-06-04
The Harp With a Single String
Self-PreserVatiOn
Baer, the Farmer Congressman, Says Workmen Play
This String Always, Because They Must.

You viii read below letter sent to the editor by Con-
gresham J. H. Baer of North Dakota Mr. Baer is first
farmer cutVatng thousand acres and knowing how hard
1t is to make bills and expenses meet second cartOons
able to make good pictures you Ses third, msmber Of
the United States Congress- sent by farmers who threw out
the Republican and the Democratic candidates representing
corporations, and chose the farmer, Baer instead
Life is something like great orchestra As you sit at
the opera yOu the first vonist fdding away all the
time playing all sorts of notes. from the bottom to the top
busy excited the happisst in the orchestra next to the
drsctor waving the little stick OF in one corner sits
man with big drum All he does is hit that drum
or twice hard soft blow The music he produces not
fancy compared with that Of the first vons So It is
Congressman Baer points out in that orchestra call
human society. There many playing harp with only
one string, the string Of Self Preservation.
The worst thing about modern industry is It's ever
increasing monotony There was time when man made
complete pair Of shoes BE started in the morning worked
al day and perhaps the next day Then he had complete
job pair Of shoes made entirely by himself and there
the mental satisfaction that from starting thing
AND FINISHING it
Now the man who makes shoes works al day at one
little part Of the shoe putting the little holes for the lace
fastening on the heel or doing some other one thing He
spends his whole life shoemaker yet has CON-
plete pair Of Shoes made BY himself in his hand His life
Is monotonous for he never FINISHES ANYTHING he Is
always playing on one string So it is In automobile fac
tories where man spends the day hammering certain
part Of automobile Tightening certain kind Of NUT
and so it is throughout industry.
This kind Of work is necessary for means greater
efficiency. Il that machines and combined can
do in day ten times hundred times, what they used
to do.
viii be all right when industry gives the long hours
Of work. twentyfOur hours day, to THE MACHINES,
and the shortest possible hours Of work to the human being
man can stand hammering at one nail for six hours
you give him six other hours to work in his garden or
work at his music his studies The disgracefu thing in
civilization Is that nine out Of ten would laugh
hours with his hammer and six hours Of freedom In art
literature, or music.
The human race however, is always to be divided
as at present the great majority working mcnotonousy
playing string, small minority using their brains
fully and completely
Highly perfected machinery and human beings under
standing how to protect themselves and get good pay and
short hours wiz solve this problem This is Congressman
Baer's letter:
Dear Sir: On Page 80 of ''The Annas' of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science for
March read an article entitled, Illuminating Indus
try" by Prof Irving Fisher of Yale University. This
is pretty highbrow" stuff for farmer to be reading
Butyou know that men who have made lifelong study
of social conditions able to tell the TRUTH
about them. presume this is why many of the able
instructors compelled resign from the faculties
of large colleges. Big business, which usually
controls the Board of Regents does like to have
man faculties who tell THE FACTS about conditions
Prof. Fisher states that human nature is a harp
Of many strings. The trouble is that the worker is
harping only oneself preservation This which is
the securing Of living is probably the basic But
he points out that the workers must be able to use the
whole octave in order to humanize industry. In my
cartoon have tried to show the other major instincts
but you will note their strings broken.
Until modern industry recognizes the erinstincts
of the ordinary workingman labor problem will not
be solved It is refreshing to know that the Ford
Automobile Company and many other industries are
today recognizing the fact that all these faculties must
be developed But believe it win require legislation
n order to have of selfish interests see some
Of these things would not only work to the welfare
Of the workers, but also to the prosperity of the
employers
Very truly yours,