The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-09-14
Howe About:
The Arctic Circle
Communism
Farmers in Russia
BY ED HOWE

I HAVE lately been wondering II r
1 am a less intelligent, efficient and
moral man because of my long con-
tact with reformerA In 1880 4 man
named Robert Marshall went to the
town OF Wiseman, north of the Arctic
circle. and remained more than a year.
Recently he has written a book about
his experiences while there The in
habitants number 127: rs whites. a
Eskimos. 6 Indians, and light mulat-
to. Forty-dve of the whites are ma
tive born. and SO foreign born: Ger
mans, English, Scandinavians. ETC.: q
fair cross section of the people of the
United States. Living so far from
what Is commonly called civilization.
and being showed In six montlQ OF
the year, one would think they lived
like savages.
On the contrary, their average In all
respects Is higher than ours.
One white and two native women.
profess to be religious, but the rest Of
the inhabitants pay less than usual at
tention to the subject, and there Is no
disturbance about It. When there Is
an occasional case Of poverty or dis
tress (both very rare) 1t Ii promptly
and generously relieved. although
there are no welfare workers In the
town. Nor Is there any stealing. and
violence Is unknown, except tradition
that crazy man once killed native;
sentiment Is strongly opposed to quar-
rellng. There are no newspapers. poll
iticians, pastors, policemen, judges.
| lawyers. doctors, teachers, movie
plays. or welfare workers of any kind.
Mr.. Marshall gave forty-fve OF the
adults, and most of the children, the
commonly accepted intelligence test.
and found that AZ per cent ranked
| above our average. Times are always
| hard, and nature harsh. but the peo-
pie manage to get along comfortably
and decently. Some are well-to-do,
some middle class, and some poor, but
there Is no rioting about 1t, all being
given the same opportunity.
the troubles of the average civilized
community are largely artificial, and.
introduced by the reformers; also, that
those of us In civilization. In trying
| to get rid OF our troubles, become less.
intelligent, less effective, and less
moral.
] believe one bugaboo with which.
men have long frightened themselves.
may be safely given up. refer to
| Communism. Men will continue to be
mean, idle, foolish. but the worst OF
them have lost respect for the conten-
ton of Karl Marx that the best solu-
ton OF the human problem is for all
men to pool their work and earnings.
and, at the end OF the week. divide
/ equally.
Everybody knows and admits now
that individualism-capi capitalism tevery
man handling his home, his Job, his
| family, to his own taste) Is the best
way because 1t is the human way we
have at last admitted some men will
not work, and that the industrious will
not divide with them.
l think we may also dismiss the old
fear OF general rioting, burning and
murder. Men are still mean enough,
to DO these things, but are discovering
there Is no common sense In burning
such, houses and food supplies as we
have; that 1t Is easier to possess them
/ through election booths or judges
that instead OF killing Industrious
men, 1t Ia better and easier to let
them accumulate more that may be
/ stolen.
The friendlIest critic of the Rus
slams, Walter Duranty, says the Rus
sian town people and soldiers have
plenty OF food, but that millions of
farmers are dying because of malnu
triton. which means disease caused
bv lack OF food. In the United States
town people have never been that
rough with farmers; we have made
fools OF them. but always allowed them
enough TO eat.
I have known men a long time, and
had occasion to remark many cases
OF extreme shiftlessness, but believe
men are more shiftless now than ever
before. A man Of forty-five land who
confesses he Is healthy, In writing to
me for help, says: II have no one to
appeal to now except my sister Ruth.
but she has been sick three years, and
unable to do anything for me- | have
observed also that more men than u.s.
ual are lately working" the women.
Note any woman who has achieved
considerable prosperity as result OF
the new freedom. and you will find
lot OF men hanging to her skirts !;
one successful actress confesses she
Is supporting seven families.
A tramp said the other day he Is
nearly always roughly rebuffed or In
suited Ii he asks for work, but that
anyone will give him a dime or a
quarter, with kind word, when he
says he is hungry.