The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-01
Fair
Enough
by wEsrBRooK PEGLER-

AOSA
by wEsTBROoK PEGLER-
THIS is the only country in the
i world which ever has gone in
for play in such a serious way as
to require special courses in the
colleges for the instruction of young
students intending to make a life
work OF play. 1t was the inUen-
ton of these young people. when
they had passed their examinations
and proved to the authorities that
they were experts in play, to OBJ
tain jobs teaching their fellow-citi-
zens to play efficiently
A number OF them did, in fact,
receive appointments as play direc-
tors at municipal Fairgrounds, rec
reation centerS and public schools
around the country. and a few for
tunate experts managed to eStab-
liSh professional relations with rich
but extremely busy captains Of in
dustry who did not have much
time to spare from their work With
such men. the problem was to crowd
the greatest possible number OF
play-unitS. as you might say, into
the briefeSt possible time. This
could not be done without expert
supervision.
The interest in play never was as
great as it was during the time when
the greatest number of people had
working jobs which interfered with
Tn
ever. with nothing but time on their
hands. the citizens have felt quite
otherwise. The municipal play
jobs have been curtailed or elm
mated and the public facilities in
some cases have been closed on the
ground that play is a luxury when
so many people are out Of work.
Popular opinion has not offered any
objection.
There is at present some concern
as to what use the citizens will make
Of their new leisure under the five
| day working week Of five-hour days,
but that concern is not only pre-
mature, but unnecessary. A great
many people still are observing the
no-day working week of no-hour
days, and FIND that when all their
time is leisure, it is not leisure at
all. When employment picks up
again, there will be no lack of play
experts to attend to the problem.
TINE citizens of the Soviet Union
l. were much puzzled by the atti-
tude of the Americans during the
time of the great nonsense in the
United States. The Russians were
importing American experts to teach
them how to work in the most eff
ficient manner. The Russians
planned to hold a sort of Russian
Olympic games after a few years of
schooling under the American work
experts. but they did not intend to
go in for such frivolity as foot rae
ing, weight-lifting and hammer
throwing in the familiar capitalist
manner.
In their Olympics productive toll
would be exalted and they planned
| to present some champion workmen
in featS of honest labor. Their
foot racers would not race empty
handed, but would push hand trucks
or wheelbarrowS loaded with the
products Of Russian labor, and their
weight-lifterS lift locomotive axleS
or bales of merchandise. There were
to be spike driving contests also
and championship events between
the outstanding pantS-preSsers, hay
pitchers and so forth gathered from
the various states of the Soviet
Union
In time, however, the Russians
first decided to postpone their Olym-
pic games and it was reported in
dispatches to this country that they
were not yet sufficiently expert to
make a good showing. They still
held to the American standard of
efficiency as their ideal and did not
wish to embarraSS themselves by a
premature display of their progress.
A BOUT this time, however, the
IA American workman, with his
marvellous efficiency which enabled
one man to do the work of ten,
worked himself out Of his job. He
had caught up with his work for
several years in advance and Cen
eral Hugh Johnson, beginning the
code hearings for the NRA in the
American capital notified the some
what bewildered owner of highly
efficient textile plant that this eff
f1ciency was contrary to the inter-
ests of the country.
The inefficient plant, which re-
quired two or more times as much
labor to produce a given amount OF
the proposed Russian Olympics for
steam-ShOvel which could dig and
load as much earth as fifty or
hundred men became a great mon
ster.
have not read anything about
the proposed Russian Olympics for
long time, but the last report
which I did read indicated that the
Russians had changed their plan
slightly. They had taken up soccer
football in a serious way and two
teams had played to an attendance
Of more than 100000 in Moscow.
The danger of American efficiency
and unbridled diligence seemed to
have been detected in time.
Still there would seem to be an
opportunity for the American ex-
pert in Russia. The work-expert
may be in bad, but a big country
which just is taking up games as
an offset to ruinous efficiency
should be able to absorb large num-
bers Of play experts who are In
desperate need of work.
Copyright. 1884, by United Features
Syndicate. Inc)
Onward
nv