Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-26
Mind and Cash Initiation
LO and Food in IdLenesS
Would Loaf and Eat a Lot
Short Hours Long Coming
Nature Hard to Beat
Another Watt Needed

cause the Federal Reserve system is under
political control and has permitted the in
fation of our currency.
But imitation does not explain So a day
wages for snow shovelers in New York.
There has been initiation, but imitation of
the currency is only small part in it.
The biggest imitation of the last century
since the conquest of the American continent
began has been the initiation of mems minds.
The race has been made confident for the
moment, too confident, that the victory of
the forces of nature was an easy one.
Just now the fight has turned against us.
Nature is having the best of It.
She is not yielding us what we need for
the same effort and at the same cost as
formerly
T,X- SECRETARY LANE tells a story
IL about his former Indian wards in Okla
homa.
In the lands of a tribes reservation oil
was struck.
The United States Government, acting for
the Indians, leased the oil lands to pro-
ducers and paid the Indians the royalties.
Every man in the tribe was rich.
The secretary went out once to make
speech to his wards.
The hall where they were to listen to him
was full.
Not a man or woman in it weighed less
than 200 pounds.
When the meeting was over an old chief
came up to Mr.. Lane and said that the gov
ernment must get more money for him from
the white oil producers.
He could not live on the $4,000 year
he was receiving.
why don't you till the soil and raise
your food on your farm?" asked the Sec
retary.
NO" said the chief. II want to live
like an American gentleman.
How do you mean live like an American
gentleman?" asked Mr.. Lane. What is
your idea of the way an American gentleman
| lives?'
'He eats lot," said the chief "and does
not work.
| TIME old chiefs ideal was a parody Of the
L worlds ideal.
The ideal of recent generations has not
been to "eat n lot and do no work" but to
| consume more and more and produce at less
| and less effort.
| 1t was not an unworthy ideal.
| 1t meant to release men more and more
| from the slavery of living gaining and at the
comforts of life. There was a confident be
| lief that the conquest Of nature was steadily
becoming more and more complete.
Hours of labor might be decreased and
production increased almost indefinitely.
As the eight hour day had taken the place
| Of the twelve hour day, so the six and per
| haps the four hour day would take the place
Of the eight hour day
The task of gaining a living would take
less and less of mans energies and meT
| would have more and more time to loaf anC
invite their souls.
| The process by which the Ford automobil,
| had come down in cost from $1,000 to $36(
was typical.
1t would happen to everything everywhere
| That was modern civilization, to make mar
master OF the earth, with less and less effor
on his part.
q q q
| VNHE thing has stOpped-our faith tells us
l. temporarily-but some who may b,
natural pessimists or who may have thei
own interests to serve tell us permanently
We have at any rate driven nature bacl
to her Hindenburg line.
She Is making n determined stand there.
If man cant oust her from her present
strong position the whole optimistic belle
which possesses humanity, and especial,
American humanity, and which dates from
the age Of the great inventions, the steam
engine and the spinning jenny, and from
Darwin's discovery that life had moved
| steadily upward toward higher and bighe,