The mirror., 1923-03-22
WORK

.
whether the world is bent on a chaotic
jaunt that will land us in inscrutable
darkness, or whether somehow, somewhere
sometime, we are going to grab hold of
ready-made panacea that will push us back
on street that reads pleasure" and has
no Objectionable sign-posts labeled "Work"
The answer is that we are not going to
be projected into the abysmal depths of
any economic chasm with ends sealed up
and no rope-ladders. Anyone who thinks
can mighty easily figure out the real and
present reason for our national stomach
ache.
The answer is a worldwide determina-
ton to eat ambrcsia and to sport silk
shirts without working for them. 1t can
not be DONE
Production is the measure of all material
progress. You can not enjoy thing be-
fore it is produced. Producing thing
requires work. You have got to do
little sweating in. the face before you can
eat your apple pie, and somebody's ply
sical work is necessary before my lady
can don an ermine opera coat or non-
chalantly exhibit a brand of silk stock
ings that are retailing from $500 to 500
per pair.
Let us just stop moment and agree
that Brownsville, Texas, is the whole
world, i. e., that all the people in the
world are living in Brownsville. Let us
agree that the population of the world
consists of 100 men. 1t then follows that
the maximum progress of the world can
be measured by the producing power of
these 100 men. Now, let US say that FIVE
of these men elect that for one reason or
another they will not work. 1t therefore
follows that progress has been arrested
to the extent of five per cent. Follow the
illustration further and say that fifty of
these men decide that they will not work,
and you will have depreciation of fifty
per cent from your maximum production,
Or again, let us say that the entire 100
men meet and agree that instead of work
ing ten hours day they will only work
five hours day. The obvious result Of
this would be that their production would
be cut in half Now, if this community
of 100 men possessed as it would all of
the qualifications for producing, by work
ing, the things that would make their
lives not only comfortable, but which
would in addition surround them. with all
of the luxuries they could possibly require,
and this community decided that while it
wanted all of these good things, it was
rot willing to work for them, the answer
would be plain, namely, that the only
thing that stood between them and a full
enjoyment. of their hearts desires was
work.
There isn't thing the matter with the
machinery of production. The only thing
that is the matter is that for some reason,
principally idlepess and sel6shness, we
have apparently made up our foolish little
minds that we can take a head-on-dive
into the pools of pleasure and at the same
time totally disregard the Biblical injunc-
tion, 'In the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat thy bread" If you don't believe this
statement, just generate enough energy to
get up early in the morning in the great
City of New York, or anywhere else, and
gaze around the streets and see what is
going on. The Catacombs of the ancient
world have nothing on some of our prin-
cipal thoroughfares at seven O'Clock in the
morning. They are equally free from
active life
What we need is thorough awaken
ing on the part of both men and women
to realization of the fact that God Al
mighty has put us in world filled with
opportunities-in land where the raw
material and the milk and honey of our
environment of unspeaking excellence is