The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-03
HELD
EMPLOYMENT AID
By ROGER W. BABSON

Postwar full employment oepenoS
upon keeping the national income
up to $12O billions or more. This
compares with a prewar figure OF
$50 billions.
Three times in the past, t h, e
United States was up against
similar problem. Cd In 1858, fol-
lowing the Mexican war, there
would have been revolution in
the United States except for the
acquisition of Texas from Mexico
and seven other states. CD In 1874
9, following the Civil War, there
would have been economic chaos
except for the development Of the
railroads. 60 In 1923, following
World War I, there again would
have been a economic collapse had
not the "horseless carriage saw
ed the day.
To jack up national income so
per cent and prevent unemploy-
ment, some new great industry
must be born, or some radical
change must take place in educa-
ton. I believe that - following
World War II-some revolution
airy change will take place in our
system which now "educates' 3d.
100000 people and spends billions
of dollars annually. Hence, I re-
peat that postwar employment de-
ponds upon our school committees.
Here is my forecast: First,
schools will give less attention to
memory work and more to brain
development. Such memory work.
as is given, should be concentrat-
ed on spelling, arithmetic tables
and vocabularies which knowledge
will help students get and hold
Jobs. Second, schools will give
much more attention to training
students to think and solve original
problems, - work which they dis
like.
The above two changes would
mean that students will take home
more problems to work out, but
fewer textbooks to read. The pres
ent craze of Juggling home mass
of textbooks. each day, results in
less thinking. Encyclopedias a n d
reference books can displace
memories; but nothing can take
the place Of brains. Employers can
install machines to do everything
but think. Hence, students should
be taught to pioneer and create
jobs, rather than to memorize and
hunt jobs.
The third important change will
be in helping students develop
good habits and self-control. The
student should be taught to dag
nose and govern his own will, wor-
ry, anger. fear, etc. Upon these
emotional traits, his health, hap
piness and economic value largely
depend. Students will frankly be
told that body, mind and soul are
one; that work in the small labora-
tories of their private individual
lives is more important than work
in the large laborat tories of schools
and colleges.
School COMMITTEES will realize
that the students greatest need is
for self-discipline, SO necessary to
coordinate body, mind and spirit.
Our present school system work
ed fairly we'll before the days of
mass production and modern con-
veniences; but if continued along
present lines will result in much
postwar unemployment. The pres
ent universal fear of unemploy-
ment and the increasing demand
for security legislation" clearly
indicate the present lack Of a pio-
neering and independent charac-
ter.
Unfortunately school committees
are mistaking material wealth, in
terms of dollars, for human prog
ress, in terms of usefulness. Chris
tan philosophy, biology and psy-
chology, as they relate to each
student, are very important. The
development of this spiritual field,
following World War; II, can be as
effective in preventing postwar I'M
employment as was the Louisiana
Purchase following tn Mexican
war, the building of the railroads
following the Civil war and the
automobile n du S try following
World War I.
Certainly it can be shown that
acquiring self-mastery to use ones
energy constructively is in the self
interest OF every student