Show I I Timely Topics I SILK SHIRTS AND IDLENESS A great greM deal of or editorial ink las has been wasted in bemoaning the extravagance of the workingman during his so called silk shirt era The false idea ha has haf s he been en put forth possibly unintentionally unintentional that there Is' Is is i something intrinsically wrong In a buying a i silk sille shut shirt or in hIs hla wife buying silk stockings There is nothing wrong in either elthel I A similar amount of ot ink has been wasted in the self righteous statement that hat it is the duty of or the I laboring man to labor and that when he stays away dway from his job or loafs a certain number of days a week I that he is js falling faIling down on his duty to civilization The amount of labor a man wants to do is the laboring mans man's I own business If It a workingman spends one or two days' days pay in the purchase of or silk Bilk shirts which he I wears over Sunday and then wears Into the mine I Monday morning it is entirely his own business ss that he lie liedo I do so But he should not then come before a labor arbitration board and because he has expended his his his' I money for valueless clothing say that his wage is 1 not Ot sufficient to pay his living expenses and make hi extravagance extra a bas basis s for tor asking for higher wages in I order to meet living conditions and similarly if after he has earned 22 a day for a number of days he wants to lay Jay off oft for three or four days he should not advance voluntary idleness in what he is pleased to term his vacation as a basis for higher per diem rate so that his yearly average may be sufficient to meet his needs I asking the consuming public In each case to foot the I bill rh The The Mining g Congress Journal I |