﻿T-BONE SLIM DISCUSSES CONST. THINKING & WAGES 
 
“Retailors must really think.”— Robert B. Schreffiler, president of the Schreffler Efficiency Company of Chicago, says so. 
— This is going to be hard for Penny-in-the-slot machines. . Think, or get off the job.—”Retailers,” he continued, “haven’t learned to think constructively for the best interests of their business.” — I quite agree with you Robert B. Indeed, it is astounding how backward our retailers are. I went into one of their dens to get a ten-cent tablet— I had bought several tablets there before — and thinking to make conversation, (so’s to help him learn to think), I asked him: “What is the value of this beautiful volume of paper?” (I had been buying it right along for 10c.) —”Fifteen cents, sir,” says the merchant prince, not suspecting I had any brains. Yessir, he thought I’m as dumb as I look— but if he had done any constructive thinking, as Robert B. says, he wouldn’t have tried to pull a stunt like that on an idiot even, to say nothing about trying it on a man that is only a little foolish after sundown— I’m alright in the daytime. Mark that down editor. Have you got it? 

Mr. Robert B. Schreffler says, “retailers haven’t learned to think constructively . . . .” and retailers must really think”— yes, on the authority of both Robert B. and myself, editor. It’s getting so that a slot-in-the-head machine outclasses our profound merchants. — I would be derelict indeed if I failed to give them this “warning” that comes to me so “natural” without any effort on my part. 
Babe Ruth will be paid at the rate of $52,000 per year, for three years and for the time he puts in— many workingmen get less than that for 50 years of labor.— I saw several of these “athletes” perform last year and I will say if Ruth is worth $52,000 Col. Bob. Shawkey is worth $5,200,000.— I wonder where all the money goes— bosses, when they want to raise our wages, say they’ve got nothing to do it with . . . .!!!! They have got . . . .— No! Hell no! I’m not arguing that $52,000 is too much, I’m arguing that $1,500 is not enough for common labor .... 
I’m arguing that a “system” that can’t guess a man’s worth any better than that is no good: $1,500— $52,000! 
Might as well put the numbers in a hat and shake the hat for inspiration.
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