Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-12

FlCluTe lIl6 event III 1871.
The doorbel rings. No the
electronic impulse arbitron in
the leisure room vibrates and
flashes on the al-purpoSe screen
the bulky image of the Third
Degree Robot Officer. Third-De-
gree Robotoffs call in person
for two kinds Of violaters only:
ercraft too close to Tee-Vee
ScofflawS who hang their how
aerials difficult to avoid be-
cause they are invisible); or
for those who, ignoring the.
hourly subliminal warnings,
have not pressed their Tee-Vee
school buttons for three days
running.
"Secunda, gum-chewing r.
year-old daughter of the house,
goes to the door to argue. And
I've done all my homework
for the next year, too
"Metallically but clear
", the truant officer (for it is
none other than he) says, but
I am here for your mother. >"
With this imaginative intro
duction, Milton R. Stern, an
assistant dean at New York
University, submits his solu-
ton to the growing problem of
leisure time in the United
States-cradle-to-grave classes.
As certain as automation,
says he, is adult education for
everybody and he even sug-
gestS seriously that cradle-to-
grave classes may soon be-
come compulsory"
Explosive Problem
That automation is creating
an explosive problem of nom
work in this country is undeni-
able. The United States Gov
eminent estimates rising out
put-per-manhour, due to auto
nation, is now eliminating a
minimum Of 100000 factory jobs
year.
A leading manufacturer Of
automation equipment, John L.
Snyder, jr., Of United States
Industries, Inc, says fatty
this is ga gross underestimate
of the real situation" Mr.. Sny-
der declares attenuation is
eliminating 2 million jobs a
year not only through direct
displacement of workers but
also through the silent fir
ings" Of workers who would
have been employed had their
jobs not been wiped out.
This, Of course, is the great
force behind the accelerated
drive for a shorter work week.
Union leaders openly admit
they are fighting for shorter
hours than their members real
ly want.
This is the key reason for the
development Of the extended
vacation, dramatized by the 13-
week sabbatical recently ini-
tiated in the steel and can in
duStries and certain to spread
in coming years.
This has always been the
factor behind featherbedding
which is work in name only.
At the same time, as reported
yesterday, non-work population
is up to 7.3 million, triple the
total in 1919, and this group
receives 500 billion a year,
or one-fifth of our entire per-
Sonal income.
Curse Of Millions
In the past, only the wealthy
have had the burden of too
much leisure and too few in
terests to enjoy the leisure.
Now it's becoming the curse
of millions who have been
accustomed to filling most of
their days with time-consuming
tasks and who are utterly un-
prepared for non-work.
Since extended leisure time is
inevitable, what's the answer?
It's not more golf, more gar
dening, more fishing, bowling
or TV-watching. These pleas
ureS can become tortures if
there is little else.
The answer is a Step-up in
education of the American
adult, as well as the young,
to prepare all of us to reach a
higher plateau of iteracy in
every sphere economic, politi-
cal, social, cultural.
The stage already is being
set for this. CloSed-circuit TV
in the classroom suggests what
is to come. The voluntary return
to classes of adults across the
Nation to learn new aptitudes
and hobbies indicates how far
we have moved from the popu-
lar image of night school. The
campaigns launched by farsight-
ed union, business and commu-
nifty leaders to spur adult educa-
ton during vacation and off
hours telegraph what is on the
way.
The dimensions of oIIr f,,t,,ro