Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-05-12
The Remedy?


be that the world may be fed, clothed.
amused and made physically and
mentally well-to-do? Improvements
in facilities have already materially
shortened the hours required, and it
is fair to presume will eventually be
able to shorten them yet more. But
il is at this particular time serious
question whether in some lines man
hasn't curtailed his working time
more than conditions warrant.
The National Industrial Confer
ence Board has been studying the
hours of-w work problem as applied to
the cotton, wool, silk. boot and shoe
and metal manufacturing industries
and concludes that mo single sched-
ule of hours is equally adaptable for
all industries from the standpoint of
production. The evidence is over
whelming that maximum efficiency
cannot be obtained in all industries
with any single specific work day
The board found that those indus
tries characterized by a relatively
large amount Of machine work as
rule showed a marked decrease in
output when hours were reduced.
Only eight per cent of the establish
ments investigated showed improve
nent in health by reason of shortened
hours.
Turning from this report TO the
current business and financial re-
ports of the daily press one is forced
TO conclude that generally speaking
there is today interpretation. Es-
- pecially is this the case in agricul-
ture and the cause is so apparent as
10 admit Of no argument.
Now eating is a habit the human
race may scarcely hope to forego.
We may talk gloNingly of the new
age in which we live, but there is
nothing new about our appetites un-
less they have become insistent on
greater variety and delicacy. We
can't form the habit Of eating money
as some wise man has remarked. We
don't go to the bank nor to the NOV
ing pictures for our physical pabu-
lum, but to the soil. And when we
get there we discover that someone
must prepare the soil, SOW. cultivate
and reap before the food is obtainable
and that figs may not be harvested
from thistles. When we look for the
fellow to do this ne don't find him.
1t has been estimated that this
country needs today four million i'm
migrants to carry on it's industries.
At the same time we are getting quite
fussy as to the kind of immigrant we
want, and rightly so. How many
more we may need to man the farms
hasn't been estimated but if you
happen to know of a hired man
worth his salt who is looking for a
job on farm capture him and claim
reward. OF course there are ex-
ceptions but they are by no means
so numerous as to shut out the light,
and the light reveals a deplora BILE
situation.
Most Of the reading public know
all this. What is wanted is a rem
edy and the wise men are studying
the situation: various expedients are
being tried; machinery on the farm is
being put to the utmost test--and still
the man. the chauffeur for the auto
mobile plow is still needed. Why
aren't you and seeking that sort of
work? The answer may help US
quicker to arrive at a conclusion re-
speeding what inducements or COM
pulsions must be applied. Hunger
would be an effective remedy; we
would enlist for farm work as the
poor Russian is enlisting in the boil
shevik armies in order to get a
square meal, and after being enlisted
is set to work to raise the food.
That sort Of a desperate remedy
men are hoping to avoid.
Now for the inducements: let
farmers cooperate and build dance
halls and theatres and furnish jit-
neys free; let them pay double for
overtime and also take into consid
Grafton that they may make hay only
when the grass is grown and the sun
shines and charge accordingly. Then
the town industries must raise their
wage and the vicious circle will con-
tinue eircling IS tazzedIy as ever; no
remedy in that,
How about cutting down wages in
tho industries? II you think that
will meet with favor you must have
overlooked the dividends they've
been paying-it's hard you know to
convince some folks they can't buy