HORTICULTURE 



January 3, 192(> 



HORTICULTURE 



ExIubllHhrtl by \t lllliuii J. 8lenarl In ISM 



VOL. XXXI 



JANUARY 3, 1920 



No. 1 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



HORTICXJLTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY'. 

 78 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 



Ti-lpphone Fort Hill 30SM 



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Entered as second-class matter December 8, 1904, at the Post Office 

 at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1897. 



Di.'^eu^sion, like confession, wlien free and 



Ambition fi,]}^ jg good foj. the soul. It seems that 

 ""d the recent editorial in Hohticultuee iin- 



r.ward der the title, "Is Ambition Dead?"" was 

 read with considerable interest but has not 

 been entirely approved of in some quarters. Speaking 

 for itself alone, IIouTicftTURE is always willing to give 

 both sides of any question affecting the trade. We think 

 that was shown in our liaiKiling of the billboard subject. 

 We are very willing, therefore, to publish the letter 

 which appears below. In itself it makes a well written 

 article presenting the employees' point of view. We are 

 printing it without further comment but we hope that 

 members of the trade will not let it pass without some 

 furtlier remarks concerning the ]ioiiits brought out. 

 These matters are continually being discussed in private. 

 Wliy not establish an open forum and get at the facts? 

 Here is the letter : 



Seattle, Wa.sh., Dec. 24, 1919. 

 Editor Horticulture. 



Dear Sir: — In the issue of Dec. 6th I read an edi- 

 torial under the title: "Is Ambition Dead?" That the 

 article was written from the employers' point of view 

 is undisputable. and that an answer from the other side 

 of the fence be permitted, will prove a tribute of fair 

 play from your valuable journal. 



That the writer of these lines is "one of those young 

 men in the trade," that he in all sincerity wishes to state 

 a few thoughts and facts from his own experience and 

 observations concerning the above question, may in .some 

 measure atone for the presumption, that he thus makes 

 himself, the volunteer spokesman for thousands of his 

 fellow-workers. 



Is aml>ition among the employees of tlie florist trade 

 dead ? If so what caused its death ? 



The life-incentive of ambition is reward. Someone 

 may say: "It is not so. the highest incentive of am- 

 bition is service." Is service tl)en the final goal of am- 

 bition? Xo, it is the only right and honorable road, 

 leading to the goal, which is reward. Xo service is ever 

 rendered without the expectation of reward. This re- 

 ward mav be visioned either in the form of money, a 

 better position, honor or self-satisfaction — the knowl- 

 edge to have done one's duty, and on the general prin- 

 ciple of. that, one good turn deserves another. 



Reward — that is the magic word which alone has 

 power to resurrect a dead ambition, to inspire a dull 



ur sluinbcriiig aniliition to greater efforts and higher 

 endeavors. That, my fellow craftsmen, is ''the lost 

 word"" in our craft as far as the employees are concerned 

 — REWAHi). 



How does our trade compare in regard to wurking- 

 iiours and wages with other trades? We I'cel that we 

 sliDuld have a riglit to take a great pride in our trade, 

 but uiider conditions as they have been and are, can we? 



.\ fellow-grower told the writer: "I was ashamed to 

 face an Italian laborer, coining home from his day"s 

 work one afternoon, who asked me how many hours 1 

 worked a day, and 1 was afraid he would ask wluit 

 wages 1 got.'" 



How in the uaiiie of common sense can anybody in 

 the face of such conditions expect to take a pride in 

 their trade? 



In your article you suggest the following remedies: 

 To induce employees to subscribe for, and read the trade 

 papers; to have a working-library in each estalilishment; 

 lo bring up subjects related to the trade for discussion; 

 to have the workers become members of the various 

 trade association and clubs. 



In regard to the first suggestion, we will come in 

 contact with a ratlier unpleasant subject; but to be piac- 

 tical, one must treat each condition as it is not, as it 

 ought to be. There is an ever-growing sentiment among 

 tile employees of our trade, that they have never received 

 a square deal from the trade press. It has always 

 played its tunes in harmony with the employers' side of 

 every issue, and barked and growled at the "under- 

 dog." When this deplorable condition, this one-sided- 

 ness has been fairly adjusted, when the trade press will 

 occasionally open its columns to the interest of the 

 employees, as it now does to the employer, then, but not 

 before, will the road be open for a host of new sub- 

 scribers, and loyal supporters. 



A reference library is a good suggestion, it should 

 have a place in every greenhouse establishment. 



Discussions of subjects related to the work of the 

 trade, between the employees are very popular during 

 the lunch hour in the potting shed, but as soon as the 

 foreman or employer appears on the scene the subject is 

 immediately dropped, unless he be a man of a friendly 

 dis])osition and fair enough not to take advantage of his 

 position in a discussion with his men as a foreman or 

 employer. Otherwise he is the boss, and whatever he 

 says goes, with no chance for any discussion. 



To induce the employees to join tlie employers' club 

 might be possible if the present members could over- 

 come their patronizing airs when "Jones' man" or 

 "Brown's man" apjiears at their gatherings and social 

 affairs. The idea will no doubt prove imjiractical from 

 the employers' standpoint. What would be likely to 

 hap];en to the florist"s club, if employees in great num- 

 bers should he admitted to member.ship? The majority 

 rules, and the employees would constitute the majority. 

 Before very long the florist? club would be a florist 

 trade-union. It would probably prove wiser if the em- 

 ployers would cease their often practiced policy to throw 

 oil on the fire of discontent by persecuting every ef- 

 fort of the cm])]ovees to organize themselves, one way or 

 other. 



If the employers sincerely wish to find effective rem- 

 edies, why not act upon the advice, recently given in 

 resard to this ca.se, bv some of the most iirnniliietif men 

 of our trade? 



Respectfully yours 

 For a just reward for ambitious service, 

 Sec'y Fi-oeists .\xd GARDB^ERs' Union, 



Seattle. Wash. 



