Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-02
Labor and Leisure.

There are changes in the observance
Of Labor day that are symbolic of the
times. Some of them are demonstrated
here in Washington. On Saturday
night the Secretary of Labor, for in
stance, sat before microphone in The
Star Building and addressed an audi
ence of millions. There were no cheers,
but before his speech was over the
speaker was receiving kilograms of con-
graduation from members of his audi
ence thousands of miles away. Yester-
day, the Sunday before Labor day.
Washington's downtown district in
theory should have been deserted. ex-
cept for an occasional and lonesome
policeman, watching an equally lone
some newsboy. But yesterday down.
town Washington swarmed with O crowd
that jammed the sidewalks and formed
lines in front Of restaurants and
theaters. The streets were blocked with
heavy traffic The parks were full to
overlooking. The traffic officers were
harassed and perspiring. Today there
are no parading knights of Labor with
fiaring banners. The Knights of Labor
are standing on the curb with little
Johnnie watching the firemen cavort,
and they hope to get him home soon
In the car and go fifty miles or so for a
picnic, getting back in time for movie.
Leisure-time to loaf, to play and to
enjoy life-forms the main topic Of
addresses and statements from the
leaders and the friends of labor on this
Labor day. Science and invention have
brought undreamed-of leisure to mil
lions. But there are two sorts of
leisure. There is the restful leisure that
breaks the monotony of work. There
is the leisure enforced by lack Of work.
Speakers, on this Labor day, are
emphasizing the former as a goal that
has been almost reached after many
years of arduous toll. But they are CIV
ing increasing if grudging, attention to
the latter.
Secretary of Labor Davis emphasizes
as one of the blessings won in the last
half century the increasing time from
work, made possible by labor-saving
devices, shorter work days and weeks
and higher wages. William Green and
Matthev Wolf, president and vice presi-
dent, respectively, of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, single out as one of
labor's outstanding problems the unem-
hot
paniment of the development of the
machine. Secretary of Labor Davis
looks forward to what is coming in the
next fifty years, when system and ma
chinery will minimize the labor involved
in turning out the days work to
the pressing of button or the pull Of
a lever. Mr.. Woll, praising the gains
registered by science and the machine,
points out Aat there is always man
between Splacement and replacement
and UT masses of men and women
o. naoving from security and comfort
out into uncertainty and thence down
to lower levels of life. Because the tide
has just begun to run heavy in this
direction, the floating mass has not yet
begun to be startlingly visible, but
the current is running strong and
something must be done"
We have more leisure on our hands
today than ever before. The dividing
line between labor and capital has be-
come less pronounced. The two are
merging and there is little conflict, for
both work toward the same end. Their
greatest problem today is to find q way
to use their hard-won leisure. Between
them they must prevent its degenera-
ton into idleness. They must discover
new and broad channels into which
that growing current of the displaced
and shifting masses, described by Mr..
al. may be directed. They must take
care lest this current become a flood.