Montana labor news., 1950-12-21
IS 1T IDLE TO WHINE ABOUT THE IDLE?

Mark Watson, war analyst for the Baltimore Sun, declares
it to be idle to whine because we did not start military prep
arauons a veal ago-or ever six months or four months ago.
Then he proceeds to whine about something which happened
a dozen years ago. He whines about the reported move OF
the French from the 4O-hour week to the o4-hour week while
Hitler prepared to invade.
Mr.. Watson wants to forget unpleasant things which reflect
upon the rectionanes, but he wants to remember and to exag-
gerate the least mistake a liberal may make. Mr.. Watson blames
French labor for its leftist tendencies, but he does not blame the
French military for the inadequacy OF the Maginot Line which
fell and brought defeat to France. MIR. Watson will not whine
about the failure to make the Maginot Line twice as strong
as it was; but he will whine about so-called French Socialism,
which wanted peace rather than war.
Mr.. Watson will not whine about the failure to arm America,
TO dig under ground shelters. He sets his face to the future.
He wants Labor to work longer hours and to make sacrifices.
He whines about the 4O-hour week at home while our boys
suffer and die, bleed and battle "a hours a day, J days or
l68 hours a week. :.
Nj. Watson is set up a S a great military genius who can tell
US what is happening six thousand miles away, but he seems
utterly unable to travel the three blocks along Baltimore St.
from Charles to Liberty St., and there get the last official report
of the Maryland Unemployment Board, which shows $4,000
idle workers in Maryland registered for jobs Actually, that
is only a small part OF the total army OF unemployed right on
the doorstep of the Sun. They want jobs. They are not
agitating for a 40-hour job. nor yet tor a 34-hour job. They
are not allowed to work because no man hath hired them.
Who whined about idle workers. The Legislature refused
to recognize they existed, when more than a year ago, the I'm
employment Board acknowledged that $4,000 were registered
for work. Work was not provided for the idle in Alegany and
Garrett Counties which had used up all their unemployment
insurance. They were put on the dole and kept idle. Is it idle
to whine about those idle who still remain idIe2
SO Mr. Watson wants to turn his face to the future and pro-
paeate for a longer work week Why can he do some prop
time, Immediately and without deaya Why can't Watson
whine a bit about the idle who are prevented from taking a
part in our war efort} The | S. Departments Of Commerce
and OF Labor tell us that almost , million are idle throughout
the nation.
MI. Watson may talk about one tenth the workers being in
Korea. but we have an army OF idle workers at home several
times the size of the fighting force Indeed the army of jobless
in Maryland (Which is about twice the size Of the number Of
Ecialy) is considerably larger t an the numebr of fghtingmen
at the Korean front facing the hordes of invading Chinese Com
muniss.
Maybe it is idle to whine about he past. Let us put the idle
TO work at oncel Let Nh. Watson remember that one atom
bomb dropped in Sun Square WI stop all the whining. When
that happens. mistakes OF the Asst Will be remembered by sur
vivors. If Mr.. Watson can put ide Marylanders to work for
40 or even "a hours per week in the war effort, his need for
whining will no longer exist.
From the Labor Herald
Ed. Note: This can happen any place, maybe in Montana,
maybe even in Butte.