The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-06-21
ON TAKING VACATIONS

j northern physician died of apopleXy. He hao
gone down South. he said shortly before he
dropped dead, to take the first vacation he had
I felt himself able to take in the past twenty
years. Most probably the doctor was mistaken
about not being able to take vacation for
! twenty years. The fact is the reversible was
, not able to do without vacation His sudden
death indicates that. This doctor died because
I he refused natures most obvious medicne-an
occasional dose of rest and change of scene.
These doses should be taken according to
need Some patients require larger doses Of
rest and recreation than others. But it may be
set down as a safe principle that every patient
should prescribe for himself good honest dose
of rest at least once each year. preferably in the
good old summertime. This advice is neither
allopath, homeopath nor osteopath-it's just
the common sense path to health and happiness
and human usefulness
The man or woman who works constantly
without taking vacation becomes machine,
loses human individuality and identity, and
really does not live in the truest sense. Any en-
ployer who expects his working force to remain
on the job "day in day OUT through the tedious
twelve months is lacking in common sense as
we'll as in humane characteristics. His business
loses by the grind, for his employees are less eff
ficient when they are work weary. The EN-
ployer himself unless he takes rest occasion
ally, is heading for an eraer grave than nature
intends for him.
The fellow who sits around boasting that he
works an indecent number of hours every day
and never takes a vacation-you have heard
that fellow boast and you know The kind of
chump he is. Doesn't it make you sick to listen
to his vapid brag? If you have opportunity to
check up his work you will find that his percent
age of efficiency is about 70 below par Partic-
ularly in mental labor this falling off of eff
ficiency is noticeable. The brain-worker who
concentrates his energies upon his job half
dozen hours a day accomplishes more than the
one who spreads his energies thinly over
dozen hours.
The present writer believes there should be
law requiring vacations upon the part of
those who haven't sense enough to take vaca-|
uons voluntarily. Maybe there should be
vacation secretary in the presidents cabinet,
heading department devoted exclusively to
the promulgation of the rest cure-compul-
sorry where necessary. This official should
have authority to make industrial slave drivers
ease up and give their employees day or a
week off now and then-and pay them for the
tlme OFT because the rest increases their earn
ing powers. Fellows who can afford vacations
and won't take them should be interned once
or twice every year in sort of psychopathic
ward, say about the size of Tom Green county.
Texas, and compelled to play. fish. cut bait
or DO something different from their usual en-
ployment
While this idea occurred to us lust few
lines above and we have not given it due con-
Slderatlon, we nevertheless hereby sugqest to
the president that we have no personal obiec-
llon to being appointed Secretary of the De-
partment of Rest and Recreation.