Norwich bulletin., 1920-12-11
THE MAN WHO TALKS

cent happenings, we may be forced to re- wise our definition of inorganic matter at least, so far as limestone is concerned. The probe that is now being thrust into some New York contracts has shown limestone to be pretty lively. and the fig ure it cut so humiiiating that dignifed, old Mont Blanc-itsef limestone-imIIe-l diately lost it's head and went flying down the valley toward Italy. After getting the first despatches from New York. this respectable old peak felt that henceforth It must hide it's head in shame. As a people we ought to have a good deal of respect for Mont Blanc for this act of decency. This whole probe thus far has shown how despotic men can be when they get into the seats of the mighty. They do exactly in the goth century in America what the robber barons did in Europe in the 10th. A commercial reign of terror is just as disastrous in it's re- suits as military, and if America would treat her robber lrons today as Europe did hers in the Middle Ages the business would soon become unpopular
 Much is being said and written in these days about the compact that was signed in the Mayfower. This is very appro- priate as the tercentenary of that docu- ment has just passed. Much emphasis has been rightly put on the fact that the
 
 document were kept. One remarkable trait in the Pilgrim character was that of personal integrity. They respected q verbal promise as much as they did a written contract That explains why they were trusted in their business trans actions with those whom they might easily have defrauded had they been un- scrupulous. It certainly shows that honesty is the best policy" in the long 4i.- -a ! the natives, the latter were of incalculable value to them in teaching them woodcraft and other things esseftial to their very existence in New England. A great les- | son is to be learned here. Any man the world over who gives the other fellow the square deal, financially and otherwise, is the man who succeeds. He inspires conf dence, and confidence in business is sim i ply credit.
 An address was recently given in Bos- ton on tlle Ethics of Business Contracts" l in which the speaker very clearly shows l that sudden business depressions which cause so many factories to shut down on 1 the spur of the moment are due to the cancellation of orders. Sometimes big order for goods calls for readjustment of machinery that is very expensive to the 1 producer When ready to fill the order l he is told to cancel it, or when the order | is partly filled. The government has set | a bad example in this respect because it is virtually breaking contract The manufacturer hardly knows what to do when a big contract has been cancelled. | He cannot go on making the goods, and he dislikes closing his factory. But he has 3 right to do this rather than rum
 ming it at loss. The writer calls this | widespread cancellation of orders a dis ease "cancelitis," which he says is spreading to every corner of the globe I and is causing this general business de- pression. Of course. it recalls the whole question of the %llue of a promise, verbal
 or written. And surely the old Pilgrims
 could give us a lesson on that subject. When the last month of the year puts in its appearance We are politely remind 1 ed by the publishers of the various peril odicals for which we have subscribed that the time has come for renewal. While we know this just as we know that one of
 our big molars needs the dentists art yet we defer that little matter of renewal
 until We dcn't renew at all. Now one oi
 the pleasures of life is reading, and al.
 though the variety of tastes is simply le. , zion, the supply of reading matter in thi, country is fully equal to the demand. | is a duty you owe to yourself to satisfy this craving Don't starve this instinc for few paltry dollars and, whatever else you buy, don't forget the daily paper preferably a home paper! You can claim to be reasonably intelligent in thes, days without fair knowledge of what il going on in the world. You ought to re member the boy and girl The most en , tertaining and instructive IS quite reason
 able in these days. Yes. it costs, but il
 the end it will be better investment t, stock up your family with intelligenc than your safe with oil stocks.
 One day last week the writer of thes immortal paragraphs was cn the street
 with his eyes open-'seeing things" H
 was not plumb full of wood alcohol o other juices equally beneficial and delight full. He was, however, filled with tn ] spirit like that of Isaiah of old to get il el touch with the real life about him. H e has always been more interested in ner
 sons than things. He would rather tai
 five minutes with real live woman tha
 gaze all day at cold sculptured marblt , But on this afternoon it was men wh n interested him; live. men in middle If : and under-their n,Dnber due to close = factories. They looRed strong. we'll fe S and happy. They were wise enough nc c to be made miserable over a temporar r business depression. In five years the will be just as we'll off. just as contente : and just as happy for this little break i the ordinary routine of life. It is not $ t much the amount of money we get as ti g quality of life we possess that makes tt a really contented and useful citizen.
 People who have been accustomed an E. have the ability to think propositio j. through in orderly fashion from effe, a back to cause are asking very seriously st What is the abnormal condition of h, l. man society that makes so many appea
 for money necessary" To say that a
 these appeals were not necessary wou
 oe begging the whole question. But th
 IS not the case Aey are all of the a worthy of our notice and patronage ]
 the causes are so complex and nurrerol
 1t is difficult for us to understand u re psychology. The real question is n t. what IS the cause of this or that appea
 put rather How are We to meet them?
 is one thing to give the paltry dollar ,n the modest call of the Red Cross ca If vasser; it is quite another thing wh
 ones college is calling for $3,000,0OO IT. be subscribed by it's 5000 graduates. IT
 money must be forthcoming or the e
 lege goes down. It cuts him to the d1i 'd to think of that! How difficult for t y alumnus of small means to adjust | w contribution to the real need!
 It almost takes one's breath to read
 certain young an who has recent IS refused patrimony of $1,0G0. 900. l lg act is so extraordinary that one wou CT suppose the reasons assigned would
 absolutely unanswerable. But this doesl
 seem to be the case If that money ct it's accumulation had caused pain, s, lv fering and want. we can see how loy q. of justice would look at it. But when
 attacks the moral right of acquiring pro