Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-28
Bill and His Family on.
An IsIand-A Parable

Contemplating existing conol1oIs,
Nicholas Murray Butler, at the l77th
commencement exercises OF Columbia
University, said: Repetition Is perhaps
the only way by which sluggish, a
self-centered and somnolent public
opinion can be stirred to look deeply
into these questions before 1t is too late.
Too late to stem the tide of discomfort,
of disorder and of political and eco
nomic revolution. Great masses OF men
will not indefinitely sit quietly by and
see themselves and those dependent
upon them reduced to penury and
want while that which we call civili-
zation has so much to offer, commands
such stupendous resources and seems
capable Of accomplishing almost any
thing"
And here is a parable Bill was one
Of the six or seven million men IN
America who could find no opportunity
to earn a living for himself and family,
In misery. they subsidized on charity,
once in a while stealing something TO
cheer them up a bit-because, as you
Then something uncanny happened to
Bill and of a sudden he found himself
with his family marooned like Rob-
inson CruSoe or the Swiss Family
Robinson on a desolate island. In mis-
own wants, the needs of his distracted
wife and hungry children. he found
the demand for labor, which he had
heretofore been assured, did not exist.
Although cut off from the enormous
advantages of contact and cooperation
and the machinery of production with
which he was familiar, yet with his
two hands to work with. did he fill
the mouths and keep warm the backs
of those dependent upon him He
worked hard and at a disadvantage.
He could beg nothing. He could steal
nothing. He must earn all he would
get. On the other hand, he would get
all that he might earn, which is not
possible when some get more because
the earning and gettingS just balance,
so he found some contentment in the
security of his new environment.
Then, one day, a ship came over the
horizon and man landed on the island
After looking around a bit and inspect
ing the crude home Bill had estab-
lished he >lid: I am sorry to disturb
you, but this is my island I don't mind
your staying here, but If you do you
must give me half your time and We
will make it a 54-hour week. Bill had
been away from civilization so long that
some Of his education had been replaced
by knowledge. He had become primi-
tive. Your island" he said, how the
hell did it get to be your island?" So
the man had to re-educate him and as
sure him that it was all right. That a
King gave the island to his great-great-
grandfather, that God had made ii and
given 1t to the King.
He told Bill that he was very sorry
and that he would try to provide per.
manent employment for him. After g
bit it dawned on Bill that the other
man had the police, the judiciary. the
army and navy behind his title deed
and although it didn't seem right to
Bill, they signed up on that $3.50 b3sis.
Bill was to put in half his time col
Letting pretty shells and butterflies.
Thereafter Bill got only half of what he
earned. which wasn't quite enough to
provide for them all, so his wife had to
neglect the baby and the kiddies stop-
ped being so playful and happy. Every
body had to work except the man who
owned the island and he sent q ship
every so often for the polished shells
and the butterfly collections. In time
they got adjusted to this new routine
and more or less reconciled to their
fate when the man who inherited the
island from the renegade the King gave
1t to came again and said: i've got
more shells and butterfly collections
than can dispose of. You have worked
~ AdA1AiAui4y anu well LtldL Itl.re IS
overproduction and no demand for
labor on the island. I guess you will
have to go back to civilization So
they took Bill and his family back on
the ship and they are again submerged
in the masses-"masses, indeed, every
unit of which is a miraculous man
even as thou myself art, struggling
with vision or with blindness for his
infinite kingdom-this life, which he
has got only cnce In the midst of eter-
mites, with a spark of the divinity
within him, what thou callest an i'm
mortal soul"
And this is to teach that we should
even at this late day, Illustrate that
e-right-of-kings idea that ought to
have been shattered by the Declaration
OF Independence because "sll men have
equal right to the use and enjoyment
OF the elements provided by Nature
God and every man is entitled to
Dement'S from society equivalent to the
service he renders"
The most bewildering puzzle becomes
ridiculously simple when the answer is
known and If those who sit in high
places were sincere and honest they
would not strive so hard and hone
lessly to find mitigation or palliative or
consolation but display the truth and
eliminate the cause of the poverty. the
want and the fear of want that is the
largest contributing factor in crime and
all our social ills.
]. B. CHAMBERLAIN.