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About The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip. (Portland, Or.) 1923-1927 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1926)
Page Thirteen THE UNITED AMERICAN December 1926 in the metric measurements in order to make a tang ible beginning to an eventual adoption of the metric system for our nation. In his emphatic way of putting things Dr. McFarren made these salient points: The French child learns measurement in this manner in half the time, and with one-half the effort, and much more thoroughly than the American pupil twice his age. They de velop naturally into logicians and mathematicians. Why should the bright street urchin who makes change for your morning paper with the accuracy of a bank cashier, have to spend weary years in school before commencing to learn the merchandise side of calculations ? Because our weights and measures, unlike our simple currency, which is the envy of the world, are still undecimalized. And the labyrinth of fable we miscall arithmetic, which the European youth escapes, squanders much of the precious interval in nothing more educational than a memorized smattering, to the more or less permanent clouding and crippling of the plastic mind. Pointed, but he has a margin for his conclusions if we only care to consider facts. Some day it is going to be a real issue in the United States. Why don’t we take up the metric system gradually and let it work its own way into the minds of the American people? Is there anyone who can give us a tangible reason for this apparent educational delinquency? His Majesty, Il Duce Mussolini, has given the Italian people a new goal to strive for—his panacea is hard work, discipline and large families. He promises ample re wards for those who show themselves to be hardworking, well disciplined and prolific. Margaret Sanger evidentally is all “wet” on the subject of the crowded cradle, for Mussolini should know something about the blessings that are so abun- dantly in store for those who multiply the earth, without means to provide proper care for their dependents. One thing is certain that a working man with a large flock of children to feed and clothe will always be hard working if he is not to be worsted in his battle with poverty. We always suspected that there was something wrong with fascism, now we know it, for the master fascistimo recommends the old dope that kept the old tyrants on their tottering thrones— keep the masses religiously interested in having large families and they will so readily be disciplined into hard work that they will have no time for training their intellect for eventual participation in matters of political government. The Soviet organizers who somehow run afoul of the law* in Bridgeman, Michigan, are more careful elsewhere, where they are about their business of “educating” the workers in the precepts of this new social and political order. One thing which they accomplished in Bridgeman is worthy of notice and that is the way “the friends” rallied to the cause when the appeal for money for defense purposes went forth. Misguided sympathy, of course, but it is a clear and unmistak able indication that the number of kindred souls is not diminishing. Criticising the courts for their decisions is some thing to think of twice before you commence, unless you want to go to jail for a little spell. An editor of the mid eastern part of our country is in the “jug” now for having said some uncomplimentary things about the courts some where in his locality. Yet, notice the utter abandon with which people criticise the acquittal of Albert B. Fall and Edward L. Doheny ? No one has so far gone to jail for speaking their minds on the “acquittal” of those two friends whom the people firmly believe to be guilty of having used the position Mr. Fall occupied as Secretary of the Interior in the late President Harding’s Cabinet, to obtain leases of val uable oil lands which the Doheny interests subsequently tapped for private gain. The body that conducted the inquiry may not care much, but public opinion in America, at least in this instance, is plainly not inclined to accept the verdict as ade quately just and fair. . . 13 ailllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllimillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllM East Side Mill & Lumber Company GENERAL MILL WORK Manufacturers of |i“aliK LUMBER Phone SEllwood 0597 OFFICE AND MILL: Foot of Spokane Avenue Oregon Door Company East Side Box Company Sash and Doors Box Shooks, Crates Phone Sellwood 0062 Foot of Spokane Avenue Phone Sellwood 0597 Foot of Spokane Avenue PORTLAND, OREGON | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiHiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Sil Place Your Orders With The United American Advertisers—and Tell Them Why 04» |.«!:« I 5S9J I 68 80 |-4».49 | W77 | 3001 | 81» -wSw |- ».42 Colors by Munsell Color Services Lab
