Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-06-19
LEARNING FROM OUR GUESTS

Differ though they may other points, nearly all
visitors from foreign lands the marvel OF our
material advancement and prosperity. recent British
sojourner, himself director Of than mean
enterprise remarked in spirit of what must have been
exaggeraton that ne 1elt IKE paupef mere Bue N an
Workngnan is at least twice as high for of the
same type in Great Britain.
Another visitor commented OH the lack of class dis
tnction in Dress evidence of democracy and relative
webeng which Americans accept as matter OF course
But he most frequent comment has to do with the wide
spread ownership of automobiles
Bertrand RUSSELL the English exponent Of utopan-
ISM has not yet said much about the poverty Of the
American working classes, the result of his recent visit
although he breads the conquest OF Europe and the Near
East by what he calls the American empire of finance
This financial empire he says, will make life everywhere
J'gly uniform, laborious and nonotonous'
} mere American is little puzzled at this indict-
ment Do mechanics with their eght-hour day and
with their Saturday afternoon and Sunday outing il the
family bus live existence much ugly, uni
FORM aborious and monotonous than that OF the une
poyed British hand, or Of the German industrial wage
deprived OF purchasing power or OF the Russian
proetaran driven by the most relentless of autocracies
to slave in industries whose efficiency has vanished?
AS for the extension Of the American empire of fl
the Near East it is difficult to conceive how the
peasant of that region could be much worse off than
his admittedly ageong succession of OppreSSOrs The
American farmer may be badly off at times but at least
he does not the risk Of maccacre every time hostile
POLITICAL national religious or racial group takes it into
its head to pull off a little raid.
Only scholars delving in statistical mazes can say
whether the peculiar and extraordinary degree to which
the great of this country enjoy the comforts of
life is due to superior natural resources the genius of
the people themselves the favored position in which
left by the The position OF certain OF our
Latin neghbors shows that the part played by
sources does not tell the whole story.
Whatever our defects, there is taking away from
the proud boast that to degree beyond all previous
experience in the whole world widening the gap
between what mans wage amounts to and the cost of
the bare necessities of life We know that the wage
es budget shows rising share which goes not to food
and shelter but to clothing and sundres In reality labor
here is rapidly establishing for itself social posi-
ton 1t is ceasing to be identical with the poor
Of estate which old and until very recently
settled the history of mankind. Labor no longer of
necessity lives streets and bare huts AS Presi
dent Coolidge has said:
'"The rewards Of labor engaged in commerce. trans
poraton and industry such to afford the most
liberal participation in all the essentials of life What
this tremendous opportunity held by the
er wisely and justly administered will mean to the
webeing of the nation is almost beyond comprehension
Perhaps there are those who will not agree with
the brightness of the picture which Mr. Coolidge paints
There yet many underpaid workers. But denial that
the standard of living rapidly advancing must be made
in face of impressive array of optimistic facts patent
to any man who looks out upon the world.
Few deny that the experiment of the United States
is usfyng itself in material sense but it is suggest
ed that very Webeng has deadened spiritual aspira
tion AS for that wonders Just what aesthetic salts
faction the wage gets from saying that he lives
under sociaistc government, when ne has no JOB no
prospect even of automobile, and very little to eat
The sociaistic schemes so much tried out much
talked about in Europe have least this advantage
our American system of government and way OF life that
the individual is net expected to find fault With himself
but with his surroundings Here in this country dlscon
tent must from the nature of things be very largely with
oneself Our system of high wages the rapid passage
from one class to higher Of great portions Of the people,
and the steady growth of ndustrya these place upon
the himself the main responsibility for his own COM
fort and contentment