Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

Page 28 text:

24 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. tion of capital and labor, the greater equalization of wealth, and the complete emancipation of women both politically and industrially. Ihese represent the goal toward which society must move in the future. Foremost in enumeration of the flaws in our present social system stands poverty with its attendant evils. Poverty is an evil and as there is plenty of wealth for all, let it be more evenly distributed. The use of alcohol as a beverage was evil; the United States has succeeded in gaining at last national prohibition. Clashes between capital and labor are evil and can be prevented. So it is with inequality of the sexes; let the women enjoy equal rights with men. The impending food shortage presents a very alarming situation. The pres¬ ent civilization seems to be blindly urban. A population of many thousands flows into the city from the farm every year. The higher wages secured in city work naturally attract the people away from the land. Labor being unavailable, the farmer is forced to do only what can be done by his own labor and that of his family. Never since the Civil War have the farmers faced such a shortage of help. The people must soon realize the grave need of farm labor, or the scarcity of food next winter will be greater than any time during the war and prices instead of coming down will mount higher. The suggested compulsory military training would take the boys away just when they are needed most for the cultivation of farm lands. The end of the long period of inflation of prices seems to be at hand. How¬ ever, the chief danger is that the desirability for low prices as an end in itself may be so exaggerated as to lead to the attempt to force prices down through harmful measures for the control of credit. The conditions that have caused the high prices, many believe, are now disappearing and the deflation has at last come. Ap¬ pearances now seem to indicate that the trend of prices will be downward. America must soon decide with other World Powers as to the size of navy to be maintained. Now that the war has ended there seems to be little cause for in¬ creasing our navy, as the result of such a procedure can only cause a jealousy be¬ tween nations. Ever since the close of the war there has been a most chaotic state of social unrest present in the United States as in every other country of the world. Unrest may be said to be a “symptom of a persisting urge indicating a will to live, to have power and to be free.” When social unrest ceases, very often a social stagna¬ tion ensues. The strikes that every day are announced in the papers are evidences of a nervous disorder and perhaps more. It is certain that they will become de¬ cidedly more serious unless some strong sedative is found to cure this nervousness. The delusion that all wealth is due to workers is widespread throughout the entire country. During the past year on account of the high living costs, the pur¬ chasing power of the American dollar has dropped about half. The majority of workingmen being unversed in the elements which determine the value of money, think that when the value suddenly changes, that someone has been meddling with the currency. The inflation of currency and the ' credit mediums are the big causes behind the general spirit of unrest. This inflation is partially caused by the destruction of property incident to the war. The one means of increasing a nation’s wealth is by production, and the idea that inflation of prices can be remedied by seizing upon the capital accumulations of the country and that such a procedure would benefit the working classes is wholly untrue and can be maintained only through a lamentable lack of knowledge. The main problem which now confronts our great statesmen is the devising of a plan to restore all classes to a political as well as a social equilib¬ rium, a plan which will benefit all alike and not one at the expense of another. The only way to overcome our deficiencies is to increase our wealth and the one way to increase our wealth is to increase the facilities for increasing wealth.

Page 27 text:

THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 23 The success we have enjoyed in all our undertakings has been entirely due to class and school loyalty, our heritage from the hundreds of men and women who have preceded us. Nothing could make our last few moments as undergraduates happier than the knowledge that we in turn have transmitted to our successors that same spirit. Without it a school loses character and its students are deprived of the experiences that foster real patriotism. For now, as we stand on the threshold of life, we realize that the history of the class of 1920 has been a series of happy progressions toward ultimate success. A capable, sympathetic faculty, loyal fellow classmen, and advantages unknown to our fathers have created an atmosphere conducive to thorough education. When each member of our class has found his life work and the complete history is written, we shall better understand our debt to Alma Mater. John L. Davoren, ’20. VALEDICTORY. RECONSTRUCTION—American Phases. At the close of the past great war nearly every country of the world was con¬ fronted with the vast and weighty problem of reconstruction, the rebuilding of its government and refashioning of its conditions to a pre-war basis. The dawn of peace after four years of war may be said to signify the beginning of the modern world. This new world must naturally resemble the old but its character will essentially be moulded by the nurses and teachers that guide it. Our own United States is face to face with an immense task in undertaking to solve its profound problem of reconstruction. Since America is one of the freeest and most democratic nations in the world, she will require some time for her necessary deliberations. It has been said that we have rushed into peace as unprepared as we rushed into war. However, the signing of the armistice found us with new possessions on our hands, all of which were demanding a satisfactory solution of their destiny. First and foremost, four million young men in uniforn separated from the futures that they had planned for themselves, have had to return to civil life under conditions radically different from those at the beginning of the war. During the absence of these soldiers abroad, women had taken their positions in factories, offices, and elsewhere. Thousands have been disabled who must be provided for. The rehabilitation machinery which was set in motion in 1918 has been in continual operation. It has been far from idle, yet results have been below our expectations and criticism has been directed at America for lack of provisions to give work to discharged soldiers, and to tide over our industries and our labor from a war to a peace basis. The Federal Board of Vocational Education, which has charge of this work, has placed only 30,000 men in training up to the present time. Everyone must admit that the task of providing adequate training for a vast army of disabled men is a gigantic undertaking and full of perplexities, but there seems to be little excuse for the general failure of the work. The great entanglement of red tape must be removed and the attitude of those engaged in the work must be changed before the Vocational Board can hope to be successful and accomplish its duties. Our vocational training must be administered by experts unafraid to meet such issues. The program of reconstruction must of necessity include the prevention of future wars, the more complete democratization of governments, the harmoniza-

Page 29 text:

THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 25 American labor has now become vastly more conscious than ever before of its power, and capitalism must adopt a new viewpoint. The capitalist must realize that the rights and welfare of the laborer are far more important than the rights and welfare of mere property. However, labor, on its part, must become more interested in the efficiency of industry and the increase of production. The economic waste in the process of getting goods to the consumer must be eliminated and such wastes can best be cast aside through the medium of co-operative stores. The workers will be enabled through these stores to become property owners as well as wage earners, and this experience will gradually fit them to become owners at least in part of the instruments of production. This constitutes the ultimate goal of our present industrial system and the only enduring remedy for social un¬ rest. Our country is soon to choose a new president and the decision of who is the best man to fill such a great position is all-important and must not be made with¬ out great and careful forethought, but whatever the platform of the winning political party let “Americanism” be adopted as its great battle cry. If America continues to hold before her the lofty ideals which have been truly characteristic of this republic, she will not only conquer with ease her own perplexities of peace but will become one of the greatest servants of humanity for all the world. xjy | jjj jJ» Fellow-classmates of 1920: This occasion marks the beginning of a. new epoch in our careers. Tonight as we stand as the class of 1920 we are conscious of an inexpressible sense of joy and satisfaction at the accomplishments and re¬ wards we have received from four years of study at Milford High School. Those four years have indeed been happy ones, engrossed in our dances, social events, and our studies, our hearts have been joyous and carefree. Yet this joy that we are experiencing tonight is pervaded with sorrow for we must realize that we are leaving that school which means so much to each one of us. We must bid fare¬ well to all that we have learned to love so dearly. Let us as a class extend our sincerest thanks and gratitude to our teachers who have with such painstaking care guided our footsteps along the path of learning during the past four years. Fellow-classmates, tonight our future lies before us, leading us on with countless opportunities for success. Let each one of us as he goes forth to meet his duty undertake it with brave heart, always remembering our motto, “Esse quam videri,” in devotion to the loftiest, noblest things of life. Teachers, undergraduates, and class-mates of 1920, I bid you a sincere and sorrowful farewell. Ruth A. Fales, ’20. TO THE DAY—Sonnet. Oh! Day with all thy wondrous brightness fair To thee we offer all our homage true. The morning glistens diamond like with dew, The sun doth shine upon thy beauty rare. Soft breezes floating thru thy clear blue skies Bring joy and cheer. All hopes once more renewed, With faith the troubled ones go forth in crude Unfashioned trust of man. And youth with sigh