The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-14
wArCHrNG The CLERKS.

Merchants Taking Measures to Protect Them
selves Against Untrustworthy Employees.
Chicago News.
1.-THE time has gone by said Chicago mer-
| chant, when business men could employ help
| Unfortunately or even keep men whom they
have had In positions of trust for years without
knowing more of them than acquaintance in the
| store or office can give. Our confidence is so
much abused and our pockets so frequently
rified that we have come to feel that protection is
absolutely necessary. About the only thing we
receive which gives rs a favorable opinion of a
| man when he applies for work is an introduc-
ton from mutual friend or a letter of recon-
mendation; but the friend or the writer of the
letter rarely knows more of the mans real cnai-
acter than we do, and the recommendations In
reality testify only to his ability to do work.
They tell US nothing of the mans life after bust
ness hours-whether he passes it in respectable
and honorable way or devotes it to drinking and
gambling. An association is to be formed for
the purpose of probing into this thing
we think of organizing O detective system
Tor the purpose of exercising surveillance over
our employees. The number of disreputable
places In Chicago is not so large but that we can
secure pretty correct idea of a mans habits
without going to any very heavy expense. was
a member of such society in New York, and it
was OF incalculable benefit to me. As an ex-
ample OF it's workings. let me show you this
brief report" said the gentleman, displaying a
ruled. partially printed blank 1t read as fol-
lows:
ITO Subscriber 2O7: The person of whom you in
quire is about twentysix years old. unmarried Has
been in New York three years and bears good char
acter. Often visits gambling houses. Drinks, but
not to excess Lives extensively.
This young man." continued the merchant
came to me with the very highest recommends
tions wanted cashier and should have EN-
ployed him had it not been for the report from
the protective society. You can very readily
understand why did not wish man who fire.
<1I I~1
quietly that his friends knew nothing
OF it, to handle my money. Neither would
knowingly employ a man who drank, even if he
never did get drunk. This young fellow could
not understand why / refused his application.
Many trusted employee in New York at that
time wondered why his resignation was asked
for. or how his employer learned that he occa-
sionaliy played faro or went out with convivial
party"
But if man is honest and faithful, and at
tends strictly to his business do you store it up
against him that after business hours he gam
bles or drinks ltteW
1--WE most assuredly do. Among business peo
pie the sentiment against dissipation in en-
poyes is growing stronger and stronger The
first thing we ask now about new man is: Does
he drink or gamble? and we propose answering
these questions through the new society. Ex-
perience has taught us that the reliable men
those most to be trusted-are those who abstain
from whisky and cards, and | venture the asser-
ton that ten years from the drinking man
will find difficulty in securing any en-
ployment-much less position Of response
bllty. young man may drink and
gamble in moderation for years and still attend
to his work, but he Is sure to come to grief, and
his employers must suffer. We do not say that
every drinking man and every gambler shall be
discharged, but we are going to find out who of
our employees have bad habits, and you may be
sure they will be given no position of trust or
profit.
Il do not care to give you the names of any of
the members of the new association. Suffice to
say that there will be over two hundred; that
they include many of our principal business men
and that enough operatives will be employed to
keep US posted on what we wish to know"