Evening star., 1926-06-20
BY GEORGE III. DACY.

~ Tor sleep, seven and one halr
hours at the office and the bal.
AnCe of the time idle hours for leis-
ure. recreation, study, amusement, en-
tertainment-or what do you do? Es-
timating COnservatively that each sal
aried representative of the great Sam
organization has at least four to five
hours of spare time daily, the total
sums up to approximately 100000
man-hours Of personal time, which the
army of national employees has to do
with what II will.
In the majority OF cases this spare
time is devoted to pleasure and amuse-
ments. The theater, motion picture
show, sports and amusements, read
ing and domestic tasks or such sub
urban home chores as gardening, lawn
moving, poultry and bee tending and
other routine jobs add spare hour
speed to the normal flight of time
The educational facilities in Washing
ton are unequaled by any other city
of similar size in the country. Prob
ably 10 per cent of the ederal clerks.
scientists and executives 'go TO
school" during the leisure.
Others of the large force of Gov
ernment workers devote their leisure
to spare time work. Large families
at home to support and small salaries
require that these men and women
utilize every moment of the day which
can be capitalized for bread-winn'ng
to that essential pursuit. Some sell
insurance and automobiles during
their spare time, others work in stores,
offices and shops, tutor private pupils,
do public stenographic work, make
cakes. candies and confections which
they sell, repair automobiles and per-
form the thousand and one tasks avail
able. One of the most curious side
line calllngs which we have come
across lately was that of a Govern
ment clerk who sells cemetery lots
during his evening hours.
x x
THE opportunities for the practical
and profitable utilization of leisure
here in Washington are legion. 1t is
an individual responsibility with each
OF us what use we make Of our idle
hours. True to say, you cannot burn
the candle at both ends and III the
middle simultaneously. All work and
no play puts Jack in the hospital for
repairs, All play and no work makes
waster and ne cr do we'll of Jack. If
your Government work is severe. try
ing and Contiung. YOU need outdoor
diversion and relaxation to maintain
YOUR health ratio. II yuu' Federal day
of service is not so severe. you may be
able to devote extra hours % other
tasks.
This article i the story Of a Wash
ington residenl and Department Of
Agriculture specialist who .;ainS re
taxation and diversion from his leisure
and yet deyo.es his idle hours to profit
able purpos es. His hobby : neither
golf, tennis. bose haN. stag" or screen
His spare lime s~e.i, lit. Is no max
n r.i 10
furniture ftrrish'2 -"G ns Urcs for
his home in his g., ~ workshop.
He built the shop ~ - lt.s made the
ma aiority Of hc .4 r"tte toolt with
which il IS equippeI NON ho is using
the tools which he mode .u he shop.
which he huili FOR The lr.,l'otion of
such Cus-lE articles rs Ha'.' and table
lamps, Priscilla sewing - ie, tea cart.
smoking stand. radio 3, n.vns set and
stand. models Of ancient ships as man.
tel decorations and various other use
ful equipment. iucludins pool table,
which affords rlus'. recreation for the
whole family and their friends
''Workmanl work IS the terse
way of describing the idle hour ac-
complishments % * r. Parks, who
lives out Nor,h CAPITOL street. and
who has built a work shop upder his
rear porch and equipped it with home
made tools 50 that both the shop and
its fixtures look rs though they We're
the products of professional talent.
This hoUs"hc,de~ cXc3Vlt"d under
meath the rtt Eetund2 until he had
cleared a spa>o lar.e enough for a
workshop g br II feet in floor dimen-
sion. Then he built wooden forms,
mixed and poured into place an S-ineh
retaining wall, replaced the wooden
piers with concrete supports. which |
carried the weight of the glassed-in !
porch above and provided plenty Of
windows for light and ventilation and |
a large doGr for entrance to the fine |
workshop. which one man made dur |
Ing two and one-half months of spare |
time hours one Summer. The shop |
is fitted with IA windows, 50 it is as |
light as outdoors, and during the Sum |
mer by lowering the windows it can be |
made cool and breezy irrespective of |
the exterior temperature
x -
MR.. PARKS saved considerable |
AVA money hy bIlildinsr n a work Shop |