The Portland daily press., 1865-12-21
The Training of Clerks.

J"'o 00~ 10 "" JUN JVf9 ItSI u<st0cFuHCs.
A good sentiment that for the coming holi-
days. ..... TSP.
~ The Training of Clerks.
A gentleman who thinks the interests of
young men, particularly clerks, are neglected,
and that in IN Portland they do not differ very
materially from those of. New York in their
wants and power to resist temptation, has re-
qnested us T. -epublsh the following Article
from the Journal of Commerce we comply
with his request cheerfully:
YOUNG MEN IN NEW YoRK.-The young
men of to- day are to be the old men of the flu
trre The clerks of our time are TO be the
merchants Of times to come. II the great city
OF New York is to be city of honest eminent
merchants thirty years hence, it must be by
the young men now learning the lessons of
life. The counting-rooms and business houses
of to-day are, so to speak, nurseries from which
saplings are to be taken 10 supply the places.
OF those sturdy oaks that time will soon re-
move. If these saplings are found rotten to
the core, how viii they grow up? Or, by
chance they have sufficient vitality to reach
maturity, are they fitted to become strong and
maintain vigorous growth in the midst OF
storm and sunshine?l To leave metaphor and
speak plainly, the morals of too many young
men filing subordinate positions are tending
downward and call for immediate measures OF
correction. Time was when this was not so,
and when the case OF young employee de-
tected in immoral peactices was something
out Of the common run. But that change
has certainly taken place, the daily records Of
courts, and the private experience ofmany
employers will show. 4, Nor has this condition
of things been suddenly produced-although
few recent marked cases have, perhaps, caused
it to appear so. 1t has been coming upon US
step by step--so gradually indeed, as tO pre-
vent any systematic attempt to advise means
for its correction. Now, however, that the
evil stares us in-the face, it must be met and
recognized. While it is needless TO detail at
! length the causes that have conspired to bring
| it about, yet few of them may be presented,
and probably some remedy may thus be pre-
sented. Al fC9 G. lH l
4, The present system Of training clerks Is rad
icaly different from that which obtained in
what is termed the "old fashioned times" and
which made the merchant princes lew Of
whom yet remain among US. The clerks then,
after days work, were accustomed TO spend
their evenings either in hearing instructive
lectures, or in the families of their employers,
| or others; in reading works of history, biogra-
ply, and general instruction, or in pleasant
social life. No time was wasted either in the
counting-room or at home-dnd~this express
the difference so observable betwee1zt ztheyoung
clerks of the present aud those OF the old regi-
me. For the clerks of that day had hdhes@
| The general, indeed the universal custom was
| for the clerks to board in the family or their
employers. The merchant considered himself
Irresponsible not only for the business habits OF
the youth intrusted to his care, but for their
moral also. Hence ensued personal super
vision over the young men on the part of the
i thar tpna ,arat
what books they read, and with whom they
associated, were generally known. That the
case is widely different at the present day is
plain. A few old merchants, perhaps, may
yet have such sold fogy" notions, and pursue
the same eo9sss,,but with most Of the employ.
ers and employees at ths present time, thu
bare suggestion of such a relation existing
between them would be received by both par
ties with smile of derision. Merchants Eow
hardly think they have right to inquire
where their clerks spend the time after office
| hours Provided the work is done satisfacto-
rily in the Office, that is sufficient; and, in
deed, so false notion of the true relation be-
tween employer and clerk has now obtained,
that even suggestion on the part ofthe form
er would be deemed by the latter piece OF
impertinence. The consequence Is seen in
the increased vitality OF billiard and drinking
saloons, SO observable oflate years. 1t is pos
itively ffightful to look into any of the many
hundreds of drinking and billiard saloons in
our city at any hour ofthe evening" Occasion
ally one sees middle-aged man engaged at
| the game, but the great majority are clerks
| some mere striplings-who daily, from one
years end to another, play from seven in the
evening to one o'clotk at night, not neglecting
the bar, which is part of every billiard saloon.
| Ifit is said that there are more temptions for
| young men at the present day than formerly,
| the answer is plain-m young mans moral
principles forbid him to give encouragement
to these glittering dens OF vice, they would in
a great measure cease to exist. The tastes Of
1 Young men should be directed Alright. If the
employers of the city furnish no guide, offer
no Inducements, lend no aid to the employed
in cultiyating pure and elvated tastes, social as
well as literary, they must expect the young
to yield to Temptations.
One cannot but view with alarm the singu-
| lar apathy with which several Developments
of crime have been received by the communi-
ty; and SO long as public feeling on this sub
ject is so dead, just so long will one great in
centive to do right be taken away from those
who have no higher motive. Employers owe
| it to themselves, as well as to others, TO in
| troduce change in the relations which sub
sist between them and their sobordinates.
/ . It Is TO the change in our city social system
that very much Of the new state OF affairs Is
due. The houses of wealthy merchants In
|
profit to the young men in their employ, too
frequently remain closed to them, except on
occasions of great display, when admittance is
gained only at heavy cost, with the disadvan-
| tage added of temptation of other expenses on
the part of the young. The old social system
has given place to the new order OF conven-
| tionalism which we call society. Young men
can enter it only at the highest price in6 cloth
| ing and ornament. The subjects of conversa-
ton are too frequently confined to such sub
jects as the young men can master only by
| expensive living To talk of the opera he
must go to the opera. To talk OF driving in
| Central Park he must have or hire horse
The extravaganza OF social life is unquestiona-
bly, great injury to the young men OF the ci-
| ty.
| oThe subject is not exhausted, but we pause
here. The moral is briefly stated. We can
not hope to reform the states OF society In
New York. But we can hope to interest mer-
] chants in the morals of their clerks, in their
| emnloyments and enjoyments. We have often
\ taken occasion to speak of the Mercantile Ii
brary, and its excellent provisions for young
men. This is one of the many points towards
| which attention should be directed. The great
point is to establish personal ipterest be-
tween merchants and the young persons In
their employ, and # these remarks set some
good men to thinking on the subject we shall
have served our purpose.