Montana labor news., 1932-12-29


for less, called commerce. This is
a bit tough on the persons who pay
more for less, but looking at things
in general, I'd say this is a pretty
good world to live in.
1929 A. d.
l am man. | am the browning
glory Of creation. | make fire and
lightning do my bidding. l have
conquered distance and space. l
harnessed water and wind. | fly
faster than the fastest bird. l
swim faster than the fastest fish.
l speed faster than the fastest
storm. | press a button and turn
a thousand wheels ten thousand miles
away. | pull a lever and pull more
weight than all the oxen, asses, hors-
es and elephants of Alexander's army
could have pulled. | speak and my
voice is heard around the world.
These teeming cities are my work.
The inventions of my brain pour
forth, rushing floods of goods to
wear, use, and enjoy. Soon these
wonderful contraptions of mine will
relieve mankind of the necessity of
labor.
Progress? | say it is!
1882 A. ID.
I'm man. Now please don't look at
me that way. | amt kidding. Just
because | look like the rag mar had
overlooked me distracts nothing from
the fact that I'm the browning glory
of creation. It's true my toes are
out, my elbows are out, and the seat
of my breeches has gone the way
Of all flesh. | also confess that my
belly button is rubbing the polish
off of my spinal column. But with
all that, I'm man, or to be more
specific, I'm working man. Pm the
guy who did all the fine things men,
toned in the foregoing chapters. 1t
was me who made everything from
the first flint arrow and bone awl
to the latest RADIO and airplane. In
deed, if it hadn't been for me-, we'd
be still sitting up in trees instead Of
standing in bread-lines.
What's more, the fix I'm in just now
is due entirely to my superior in
%tellect. Do you imagine any animal
would starve because it had gathered
more food than it a eat, or freeze
because it groweth too much winter
furs, or sleep in the open during
zero weather because it had bur-
rowed too many holes to crawl in?
No stree Bob, not even a jackass
would go hungry standing belly deep
in grass.
Only mar is capable of creating
the scientific processes by which he
strips himself naked. Only the in
ventive genius of man can create
the wonderful labor-saving devices
that put me and my family in the
card index of the Associated Chari-
ties. Only man-of all the creatures
of creations capable of increasing
his food supply until the %superfluity
thereof gnaws his very CUTS out.
However, the things | am tenn
porarily suffering from are but the
growing pains of progress, which
naturally increase with progress.
Moreover, let us not forget that we
are still a young people. From the
Piltdown man to Edison is only
100000 years. Think of the progress
man has made since. Think Of where
man will be in another 100000 years
if the present rate of progress con-
tinues. Why, it's only a lousy hun
bred and fifty years since Watts dis
covered steam power. Now look
around and what do you see. No, not
that. | only sat down on ice because
I'm too weak from hunger to stand
up. Pm only shivering because Pm
cold. These tears are but tears of
joy over the glorious progress this
young nation is making toward the