Editorials from the Hearst NewspapersBrisbane, Arthur
Philosophy
Editorials from the Hearst Newspapers
Brisbane, Arthur
Editorials; Essays
Why should not EVERYBODY'S work be done carefully?
But it is not merely careful work that is involved in the
regulating of the day's work. The welfare of the nation and of
the nation's future is involved.
Go with the man who denounces labor unions for limiting the
amount of work that a good American mechanic should do in one
day, to the stable in which that man keeps his fine horses. You
can easily bring about this dialogue:
"That mare in the box stall is a beautiful horse. Is she fast?"
Rich Owner--"Yes, very fast. I value her more highly than any
horse I have. "
"How many miles do you drive her every day?"
"Oh, I don't drive her EVERY day. I drive her one day, and
have her jogged quietly the next. When I do drive her, I jog her
for two or three miles to warm her up, then speed her a mile or
two, and then take her home. She covers perhaps six or seven
miles in an entire day's work."
"But you COULD drive her twenty-five miles, couldn't you, and
drive her as far as that EVERY day?"
"Oh, yes, I COULD, of course, if I was only thinking of using
her up and getting all I could out of her now. But, you see, I
mean to use her for a brood-mare; I expect to get some splendid
colts from her, and I don't want to wear out her vitality. I
might get a little more fun or a little more work out of her just
now, BUT I WOULD LOSE IN THE LONG RUN." ----
Now, gentlemen, the labor union rule limiting a day's work simply
considers the workingman as that imaginary rich person considers
his beautiful horse.
And the feeling of the labor unions should be shared by the
entire country.
The highly skilled American mechanic is one of the chief assets
of this country; the intelligent, scientific, up-to-date American
farmer is another highly important asset. These two classes of
citizens ARE THE UNITED STATES. Between them they are more
important than all the rest of the nation put together.
AND YET THEY ARE NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THEIR CHILDREN.
The workingman of to-day is the father of the future.
The trouble with us is that the employer, unlike the owner of the
fine horses, has no interest in that workingman's future or in
his future family.
He employs and treats the workingman as the casual heartless
customer would treat that fine horse if it were rented by the day
at a livery stable.
There is much to be said, no doubt, on the side of harassed
employers, many of whom are fair-minded men, and many of whom
are put to unjust annoyance by some of the labor unions'
mistakes.
But, first of all, the employer must realize the RIGHTS and
the EQUALITY of his workmen. And as a patriotic citizen he must
realize that the welfare of the future is in the health and
vitality of parents to-day.
By limiting the amount of work which they do in one day our
mechanics enable themselves to preserve some of their vitality
for mental work, for educating talks with their children. THEY
GIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN THE VITALITY WHICH THE SWEATSHOP SLAVE CAN
NEVER GIVE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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