The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-11-10

days.
In the past year, there were :
only three days out Of the Gus
tomary 1865 in which his entire
force Of help appeared for work.
They are making such high
rates Of pay that they can live
comfortably ito the fullest Of tho
liquor ration alsO) by working
only half the time, and nothing
can get them to work the ether
half. He keeps IL men on the
payroll in order to get the six
necessary for his business.
I called the best bricklayer in Our
Town to do little job. He said he
had gone out Of business. His health
could not stand the strain of trying
to keep his troup Of bricklayers to-
gether, as none wished to work reg
ularly.
FORCED OUT OF BUSINESS
It was not worth the trouble to
try to handle them because you
could never get job done. He
opened, instead, an old blacksmith
shop which had been closed for 30
years. Yes sir, our leading brick
layer has become a blacksmith,
symbol of our progress.
The hotel manager in Our Town
is a superior fellow, has had top ex-
perience in New York City, a pro-
gressive kind of manager who wants
to make his food better, his place
efficient and superior. He broke
down trying to do it, and after
few weeks in the hospital is now
taking a months rest.
His walters made enough money
to allow them to retire each payday
and return, either rested or bleary-
eyed the following Tuesday or We'd
nesday. His maids went off to the
local war factory where they could
make $50 a week and more stand
ing around doing practically moth
ing. Some days only one employee
showed up.
What has happened to Our
Town? No one wants to work.
No one who can live otherwise
wants the responsibilities Of an
employer. It is mot a manpewer
question (the men are here) or
an economic question involved
in all those statistics the gov
eminent bureaucrats wrangle
about. It is a state Of mind,
condition for which there seems
no remedy.
The elderly couple down the street
finally got a man to wash their win
dows this fall, but he wanted So a
day for that simple task and they
could not afford it. The kitchen
maids ask $50 a week-more than
twice as much as a soldier fighting
at the front-and sometimes get it.
But like others they do not want
to work, as a group, and they in
crease their salaries while cutting
their hours Of labor and their days
off, laying off when they accumu-
late enough money to rest up for a
few weeks.
RUIN OF NATIONS
Is this a war situation or q local
phenomena? I think not. It is not
a war question because 1t started
long before the war. Indeed it is
the same condition to which most
authorities ascribe the fall Of France
and it ruined Communism In Russia.
When conditions encourage
people not to work, they natu-
rally will not work, and when
a nation does not work II deteri-
crates and gives its eminenco
to nations which are producers.
A nation has no wealth except
the product Of its labors and
when the production falls on, for
any reason, 1t declines.
But what bothers me Is the future.
The government is pledged to an
infationary postwar policy Of high
wages and high prices, thus con-
tinuing the conditions which are
causing the unofficial institution Of
the three-day week, Of work avoid
ance and employer retirement.
know labor leaders who doubt
that the union people in our war
factories can be kept at their jobs
after peace in Europe. I hear au-
thentic predictions of a breakdown
in American production before Ja-
pan can be conquered.
This is Our Town already. VIII
It soon be our country.
The best possible nonpartisan au-
thority recently has made check
of inner union campaign trends and
returned here with doubts that put
even California and Washington in
insure categories. Mr.. Roosevelt Is
holding a good portion Of the CIO.