The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-04-24
TAKING STOCK"
Should Sentiment Always Have
Precedence?

taking stock" of, oneself is a peri
odical duty, probably not always prac-
t1ced, and is as necessary as taxing
stock Of your household effects or your
'store goods" The right minded man
will do this. In unmolested moments
he gives way to deep meditation; he
gathers his thoughts to ascertain If
brains, energy, and ability are synco-
pating properly, working together on
lines that answer to an ambition that
looks for a satisfactory return.
If there be a deficit, his endeavor
should be to discover the leakage. 1t
may be that he lacks the nerve to go
into a retrospective analysis, or fails
in initiative that will prompt him to
throw his horoscope in the future. Un-
less he can do these things he will
never be able to pull himself out of
any 'rut'' in which his condition has
placed him. He must ''take stock"
"Stock taking" leads to modern-day
efficiency, and is demanded of every
worker If unsatisfactory conditions are
to be overcome. In the case of the
farmer it may be that he is working
a ''too high-priced farm; interest and
rent may be an "overhead'' eating up
the profits. There may be other rea
sons why profits are not shown. It is
just possible that he is sacrificing
profit and encouraging loss because
Of sentiment, but he does not realize
that this is the cause. The farm was
his birthplace; reared upon it, he
knows every nook and corner of the
old place. He fshed in the brook.
hunted squirrels in the woods, hid in
the bayfield,, grew to manhood upon the
place. courted and married and brought
up his family there. These are ties
that commend themselves, and WHY
shouldn't sentiment have a say? To
many this will appeal. But are these
good reason to continue? Does not
one owe it to himself and to his de-
pendentsa to take stock" and put in
to effect action that will bring bal
ance on the credit side of the ledger
the balance that will bring happiness
and give comfort far greater than
mass of unpaid bills and a house full
of worry, and a devotion to sentiment?
Should he not look around for more
favorable conditions, which may easily
be found?
Reconstruction is said to be thief.
In this case the axiom Is undoubtedly
true. To allow the adverse conditions
under which you may be laboring
continue may keep you for years longer
in the present unsatisfactory position.
There was man at Brazil. Ind,
who made weekly visits for upward
of year to the Office of the Canadian
government at Indianapolis. Ind. and
from the agent secured all the informa-
ton he possibly could as to conditions
in Western Canada. But he lacked de-
cision, did not "take Stock or if he
took it, failed to act. This was four
teen years ago. He lived on a small!
farm, which gave him mere existence
and no promise of anything more. He
is still on the same place and no better
off today than then. He had a friend
working in a glass factory, who also
had but little means. He became ill.,
terested in Western Canada. He pos
sessed, though. spirit and action. With
the impulse thus prompted he moved
to Saskatchewan and took up a farm
Today he is the owner of a splen, lid
section of land, has plenty of money
in the bank, and could retire with
handsome competence.
That which has been the good for.
tune of the Brazil glass worker, who
had "taken stock and profited by 1t.
may be that which will follow any
other of like temperament and firm
wish to erect for a satisfactory future.
Western Canada submits for consid-
Grafton and approval conditions in ag
ricultural lines that are exceptional.
There is land there that annually pro-
duces about the same return as any
other farming land. and it can be pur-
chased at but portion of what the
place which has not been a source of
profit can be sold for. A section in
stead of quarter-section. worked un-
der western conditions, with no more
effort. solves the big overhead" ex-
pense. The social conditions. which