St. Johnsbury Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-1920, 1920-03-10
TIE COBBLER AND HIS LAST

TIE COB3LEK AN HIS LRo
(l7rom Rutland HcraldD
The mechanics think they can run
thc railroads good deal better than
the railroad men. the railroad men
think they con run the farms a good
dead better than the farmers. and
the farmers think they can run the
3ho,.a Il good deal better than the
mcchanics.-St. Johnsbury Caledo-
man.
Before proceeding with a COM
mcnt, The Herald confcsscs its con-
sciou ,nu,s of the fact that the natur-
al rctolt might be that editors think
they know more about every mans
business than the man knows HIM
self. In fact, the accusation was d.
rcctly made IN u public meeting in
Rutland that The Herald probably
considered that it knew more about
a certain big job than the president
and faculty.
A newspaper, however, reserves the
right to comment on matters OF pub
lie interest according to its informal
ton and ability, and it does not follow
that because its criticism seems for
the moment destructive that it is
necessarily striving to pull down any
thing or any one. Just at present,
this newspaper would be deeply sat
is6cd if every man would return, like
the cobblcr, to his last, then indefat-
igably and intelligently stick to it.
1t may be said generally that the
curse of our present industrial and
business situation is the lack of plain,
faithful, skillful "cobblcrs," by which
We mean men trained to Il certain
useful if humble handicraft or occu
patton, essential 10 the progress of
big things. Such things are bungled
if undertaken by novices, and enough
bunging stops the "whole works. or
sends the boss into q sanitarium.
Our former cobblers are trying to
be statesmen or office managers. Our
clerks and statesmen are in the movies
Our farmers have gone to railroading
Our car cleaners are ianitors. Our
school teachers are turning to steno-
%,aphcls or milliners. Our printers
are going in for publicity. Our car
pentcrs arc shipbuilding. Our ma
sons arc contractors, and so it goes.
Meanwhile, to fill the place of our
steady. faithful cobblcls, statesmen,
car cleaners, etc, we must choose be-
tween the unframed boy or girl and
the aupcr1nnuated inefficient. The
former no sooner learns the rudi-
mcntS of his craft-and expects to be
well paid for his lcalning-than he !
moves on. The unoslcri7o' NV hnens
remain and possibly a few of the
more unehtcrprisine youths, but
where are the cobblers of yesterday? |
1t is not so much question of pay, ,
because, sooner or later, that mat
ter adjusts itself. 1t is an underlying
for c1"''~-- -'-' the hazard
ng of new fortunes. 1t is an unwill-
nGncss to stick to the last and pro-
luce a good job for a good days
wage.
Much Of this may be chargeable to
he war and the way the war was
run from Washington. Men were
jumped" by political manipulation
o that the "boss Of the shop" might
ind himself taking orders from the
ircmcn. Message boys were quail
led as signal corps experts. Half
raincd doctors commanded distin-
WI .bn1 c,,rroopc Dln++ ,b,ro, ssl,,,,
y-up lieutcnants" tried to teach old
soldiers their business.
1t was all very fine and miraculous,
'ut it hurt the rank and file of cob
,lcrS. 1t sent mo- H. to civil life
lneasy under the ranking mark of
he boss. They "iacked the Job" at
he slightest provocation. They
weren't satisfied with the pay; they
wanted part of the boss pay as well.
i'll this must adjust itself, and
presently we shall get back to first
when the man that owns
he business will have something to
ay about running it.
Meanwhile, the reward of the man
Who knows his job and sticks to his
asst will be certain and inevitable.
What the English call our "beastly
versatility" is likely to
un its course, and the expert, even
ii patching shoes, is coming INTO his
,Wn.
Boss and worker, cobbler and cleo
rical engineer, shipwrieht and black
NTH will presently find their niche
bless the cobbler who will ;
ticL, IN hi. l,rtf ,