GOVERNMENT STROKE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 6

GOVERNMENT STROKE.

FETISH OF THE "STEADY JOB." ■ ■. SOIEE.MINOE PHILOSOPHY/. , There has -of late'- years 'been a wild and undignified' rush for the! permanent position," and' its- effect, is, being.felt. in : every trade ~and',' profession,- ; writes "AlP.C'lin the, "Eledxical Beview" of November..: 'A. man has:no sooner left college or finished his -apprenticeship, says the writer, than he becomes painfolly airare" of the difficulties of getting on. It comes to him as a'sudden shock like.a cold douche.',and the reaction is ■ severe and disastrous'. '■ ' . . The modern tendency!is to' avoid': hardship','' risk, 1 and worry ; at. all 1 costs,, and the', only-' means of'.• accomplishing, this, as, it seems'to! the immature.mind, is to obtain somo berth: whero the - possibilities of dismissal are rare,, sincei the,'responsibilities are :'nil, and 'where ' thure, is a prospect of ah uninterruptedly qdiet life with a pension' looming up in-the future. Hence the Government-job,' or a humble post In.'one. of', the, largo iufms which never die,'is the thing, aimed at. The excusefor-this desire'is.ulmost:invariably 'a.man wishes; to settle down, -which' -is 'one -way of: saying •■. that he Swishes to put a,millstone round his neck.! True/: BucK! men" lead '•'comfortable :lives, they, have 'no .worries,' _and. they_ do not want.:., .-. Incentive is,dead within them, therefore they, : haye no ambition since It 'makes 'not; the. least' difference whether .they are.' workers or sluggards—, whether. they are' brilliant, or, dull. ■; There : is a. sort: of ;trades '-unionism: in, all the' steady jobs,,particularly those under .the' Government, ;which- prevents 'one man' from moving: faster than his fellows, and yet the .very .holders of • these.-positions are the ..first to. decry / trades unionism while unconsciously.exemplifying, its most glaring' weakness. It is the outcome- of pure' cowardice and'a failure to appreciate the' true-'object' of, life which' brings about this state of affairs. .'ls: it the aim and .end of : all things that '• we, should 'settle ourselves in a comfortable routine; serene in:the knowledge:that nothing.can. make any.difference tp.us?;: Is: it .the men who act .on,this .principle ; 'who; count in the'world? .|- ! ..': ' \. Settledin a Groove/ , '■ ..',: .'■■'■ ' : :. : \-' ... These, queries! scarcely-ne'ed.-ah .answer. The world's-Mstory'goes/to ;prove that the mam with '.the; steady job' ; nas .never, 'done anything" to aid'pf ogress-or to: play his; part • in•' the real evolution:' of ■ things.' If' a man .does' not' gain by any ■' deed'', of' ..hie '.own,;he....will. not take: the "trouble. „to .' do' it, -and; the holder: of- the.permarient position,', who knows/what his state-will ..be in .the;.next' yoar';.'and 'in the next! 20 -years,.';has; no' incontive to' movo dut.of, tiis groove. -He has-his hobby.' /He;., reads'-novels, 'perhaps,' and 'calls! himself. cultured ;,.he" may he a theatre-goer, and .thinks ho is literary, br'ho'.may. even: aspire.tb', plentifully visit-pict'ure'galleries,:and. deem..'himself, artistic.' -But -;hp ■, ;does:.:not, count.. .He leaves. : the :world as he entered. it'!'• The' wonderful "advance of the,' United' States Seoplo in,.. overy.- direction is in. .reality ue to -nothing -else than the 'uncertainty of tonure' of position. ,".'•'- .-'''.;'•'■'' '".; -.:..' : .We' call'. America :• an,.onterprising ',na-. tion,',but that '.is' only our,old-fashioned .way. iof ■'. expressing- the• -fact that the iheflio'ents •: are;;being. killed- off—literally, being ,/starved.'. out-:'"- of/existence.! The American lias been brought'-to learn that specialisation; is valueless,' since he may, not.bo. .to-morrow .'where,; -he;■'.is"to-day,;-'j therefore,-he becomes'. .self-reliant,".;■ !and afraid: toi-.taokle nothing Isimply because he knows; that: if-this ■.fear/.'grips; him, he is -.lost. '.'• Of '■ course,'. ho. may .'■ make '.''mis-;' takes,. and, fall, .but-such failure ..helps: ,the. ,ultimate.;. prosperity, .of the: nation,' however disastrous it: may be .to, the' individual. :v : ,;;:;;•' cS;'-! 1 :-;,.''- ■■ The Settling Down' Process. '.!,': ..To'/ the . American,'; marriage, ; and the .'"settling/down"; process, ''are; minor considerations, "and : the '.only thing, worth living' for is work, with its'consequent advancement,' 1 personal 1 in' aim, ■ but national in importance. : It, does not make life more-comfortable,: bati.it;.makes it. infinitely- more, interesting and'.worthy.", ■<Lot us look at the matter broadly.' Nobody denies, in theory, that self .does not. count, but;-that ; all; things, should be; viewed; from -.their. ; 'effect, upb'n/.the. final evolution of-the universe.; .Personal, comfort should' therefore, riot, enter .'into i the.;question,':,but' it/does;.; and ;we must attain'the desired ..''result'-! through some, other means until 'humanity, reaches the . istage- of sinking the 5e1f..,.-This':means, is: none other -than that-which has beon : arriyed;atin/America by!a;natural-prb--1 cess'; Steady. jobs v Bhould:! bo; made'-im-! possible,':,'and/all men 'should .-fight/to, their, last-ounce for- their very;.existence; Some would .suffer in/! the...competition,,

some would* fall, and: be trampled 'on, but the real, men' would'rise tbgreater ;heights Untrammelled !by ; the retarding •influence .of. those with no jncentive, for it is undeniable that under present'. conditions ~;in, England- the weak can keep back the: strong. : ; '..-.';■,. .:..;.' , One, need, not; ;particularis6..except vto say that .'the : Government,'.'. county;. councils; and. municipal authorities 'are particularly: bad offenders. ,'\lt- may. be said v that'; this ..philosophy makes, no ■; allowance ,-.for t mediocrity, -of ..;.wKich■ the 'majority of the.,,engineering profession is : constituted,: but. the fact .'.is., this -hasvfor. :its aim the .(annihilation .of mediocrity, and tho production '.; only of ■ superior men; -.apt that-those,.'we..now .coif, mediocre' would be stamped- ont, ■ but rather they '•would;,rise : to the /higher ' state '■ thomselves through .-force., of -circumstances; since :: they., .would. have :no alternative;; Lot _no man ..be-certain;-of ;his. "*, ™,'fight every day, .of,,his life for has,, and -.the- nation's: progress will, bo as rapid. as if ;it were: composed :entirely;,of, those.;',whom,f;we'v-now call ■groat.. .■:■■,-. ;,,.,-', -.'"',.■;, ■~.■■, -. • ■-.