Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-10-20
WHY DON'T THEY GO II
WORK3
BY r. b. Nichols


|
confess to . feeling Of WEAKNESS
with many Of the ideas In the cities
these days, as reflected In the dailies
and the talk Of some of the people.
1t seems to me that bunc and piffle
and inflated atmosphere are at record
levels. Perhaps. this Is because I
have a farmer view Of things any
how; maybe my Woodson country
training of the years gone by makes
1t impossible for me to get" the
modern economic ideas In this age Of
jazz. But / am out Of sympathy
with a good share Of this stun read
and hear.
Briefly l am Of the opinion that a
large part Of the city folks instead
Of bowling around over wage stand
ards and higher commodity prices
and the necessity Of maintaining divi-
dend rates and goodness knows what
else, had better go to work, and try to
render the best possible service to or
ganized society! suppose that Is
old fashioned and "small-town stun''
and all that, but 1t does seem that II
the average city man would 20 ahead
with the same faith in the future and
the efficiency which most farmers are
showing, many of our economic ills
would disappear.
Yes, l know that there IL much
unemployment in America. This Is
bad. There are huge numbers Of
men who are deprived Of the Oppor-
tunity to work who would be glad to
do so, and at fair rates. And know.
moreover. that there is a certain pro-
portion Of men who don't give a
whoop whether they ever work, II
they are one meal ahead Of the bread
line, and that there are tens Of thou
sands who are employed who loaf on
the job just as much as they dare TO-
All Of which adds to the economic
burdens Of the country. The world
is going through a difficult period, In
which the limit of productive energy
is needed from every man, woman
and child. This IL no time for loaf
ing or waste Of any kind.
am afraid, and / regret to say 1t,
that the Germans are showing much
more common sense now than the
people in any of the allied countries.
Here is what William M. Wood, pres
ident of the American Wooden Com
pany, who has Just returned from
tour of England, Belgium, France
and Germany, says:
Germany is fairly teeming with
activity. The people are as busy as
ants. The factory chimneys are
smoking and the wheels humming
and there seems to be universal de-
sire to produce. Wages are very low
when compared to ours over here, but
the cost of living is also held down
to proprtinately low levels, so that
the German workman, although
working at small pay, is really better
off and more comfortable In his Nv
ing conditions than he has ever been
before. There are vigorous regulative
measures for keeping prices Of food
and other necessities down to reason
able levels, and everybody seems to
be pulling together in truly commend
able fashion. Germany Is going to
be a factor to reckon with in the
worlds markets in the near future.
Her people are going 10 work with
will"
All of which takes me back to the
winter Of 1919, when as a mem3er
of the more or less appreciated A. b.
r. I was back in Treves and COblenz
and some of the other towns on the
Mosele river And l didn't think In
those DAVIS that the folks there would
recover and go to work and try to 40
something sooner than the people OF
America! Not so you could notice II
And let me remark in passing thai
they wouldn't be doing 1t now II TINS
farmer" view Of real industry ana
common sense--found In the country
was the rule in the cities.
Instead of a real spirit Of cooper
alton such as we ought to have, we
find many industrial leaders acting
like a bunch of old setting hens, ana
some labor leaders spouting> ecohom
ic ideas of decidedly rancid nature.
I wish that some Of these people VINO
believe that the country has gone TO
the dogs would tax trip out into the
omen fields in Kansas, anywhere, and
have a talk with some OF the farm
folks. think 1t would have a good
effect on them. And they might 60
back to the city, and, wonder OF won
ders. 20 to work, and perhaps, In the
language of my former doughboy
friends, "pipe down" At least wish
this could be brought about. This
country needs more work and less