The Republican journal., 1922-01-19
When There Will Be Work For
All

When here VIII De WOrk FOr
All
By e. e. Mannin, In Forbes Magazine.
Students of economics and sociology
attribute the unstable position OF the
worlds trade to cyclical fluctuations OF
industry, the inevitable outcome OF
world war, the difficulties in connection
with exchange rates, inflated prices, the
wages problem, and innumerable other
causes. That these causes exist, and that
they have their natural bearing on the
problem is, of course, unQuestionable. But
at the same time there is yet another un-
derlying, undermining cause at the back
of trade difficulties and problems wnich
are not merely peculiar to America, out
which are affecting the industrial and
commercial progress of every country
that participated in the war.
And that cause is simply this-that
workers do not work as they used to. Let
us be frank about it. 1t is no use decelv-
ing ourselves or attempting to conceal un
pleasant truths The average worker OF
today. not only in this country, but all
over the world, is out for shorter hours
and bigger wages.
There is a lot of talk, among extremists,
of having been 'swork slaves in the past
By which they mean that the average
workers. life was mainly matter OF
work. Well, supposing it was3 Were we
not happier and more prosperous IN those
days2 Never in history has there been SO
much suffering and want in the world as
there is today, and it is significant tnat
never in history has there been so much
agitation and industrial unrest The pro-
found tragedy of it all is that never in
history was there so vital a need for every
ounce of energy, every ounce OF product
i've power, every ounce of cooperation, In
rebuilding the broken world, as there is
today.
In work only lies the salvation of the
workers of the world; by work only may
happiness and prosperity be restored, Tor
the nation and the individual alike.
In England, it has been estimated that
hard and conscientious work on the part
of every worker, manual laDorer ano
clerk alike, together with the industrial
peace and speeded-up production for the
next six months, would absorb the entire
mass of unemployed. British trade is
slowly but surely on the upward grade.
British business men are talking good
business in the belief that there is no lub-
ricant so good for the wheels of business
as optimism; spirit of hope has crept
throughout the community of British
---~rkers. They are determined to work
- the solution of their industrial prob
nd therein lies the remedy for AmeIi-
and for every nation faced with prob
iems of unemploy trade siumps ana
under production.
In every office and workshop would
have embazoned in letters OF name-
WORK is SALVATION.
And by work | mean full time work,
not half-time work. | mean that every
manual worker or clerical worker, en-
ployer or employe, managing director or
iunior stenographer, executive or Office
boy. mnst work 90 minutes of each hour
for good eight-hour day-and then some,
if need be. And in most cases there is
need.
Work is salvation; let us never forget
that truism. Good work benefits every
body, the employer and the employe alike.
Where men and women work hard and
enthusiastically, trade moves, and keeps
moving, always in the path OF progress.
A nation of half-time workers, workers
who count the hou s to knocking OH time,
and the days until Saturday, with Its half
day or whole day holiday, cannot pro-
eress; and a nation that does not progress
harbors poverty and discomfort.
II is right that every worker, every
man and woman in any calling, should
set the best out of life. Happiness is the
heritage of every human being; but hap
piness must be worked for. AS ye SOW,
20 shall ye reap" and slackness, and
arumbling. and discomfort never yet pro-
dueed a harvest of happiness or prosperl-
ty. a.
whole world is faced with grave issues,
and work is the only solution to the pro-
lem. the only remedy for our many Ills
There are thousands of men and women
in America, in Britain, and in other coun-
tries. only too anxious for work, clamor-
ina for work, praying for work. Is 1t not
tragic that those who have work do not
INIT forth their maximum effort to so
speed up trade that room is made for their
sufferinq brothers and sister outside IN the
street,
A soon as trade begins 10 boom, the
unem ployed problem begins to Dissolve
Il il surprising how often SO obviou
fact is overlooked. 1t is up to every
worker. whether man or women, manual
worker or clerk, employer or employe, to
work harder now than they have ever
worked in their lives, to put In 6O minutes
to every hour, to abandon the clock wat
ching. sthank- God Saturday" atti-
tude. and by sheer force of enthusiasm,
determination and concentrated effort, TO
eef the wheels of trade revolving, With
ever increasing speed. -,
when all workers work, there will be
work for all.