Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-04-19
CLERKS IN STORES.
..me of the Cause, That Operate to KeeI
Salaries Down.

| ...me OF the Causes iiiit Npr't.te ~ i>e"p
| Salaries Down.
"There are few lines OF occupation
II which there Is such an inequality OF
tctual worth among men and women
lr;iwing approximately the same pay
IS clerkiug," said city merchant OF
| long experience. "Some people are
BORN clerks while others are chiefly
,erviceable for keeping the dust off the
stock. Personality. address, the faculty
If inspiring confidence. the ability to
| explain III ferences and superiorities,
md do ;cA other qualities enter into
;he question of competency, and though
most places of business are daily over
run with crowd OF anxious situation
seekers the supply of thoroughly capa-
Die clerks is not over-large. To sell to
pubic that wants to buy and knows
What it wants is one thing; to sell to an
Uncertain, wavering or merely curious
public is quise another. 1t is ability to
zeal with The latter that proves a clerks
,sorulness to his employer. Two clerks
1 Working side by side on the same line
If goods will show differences in their
aggregate sales wholly out of keeping
With the difference between their re-
,pective salaries. Clerking is essential
Y a trade and the best clerks are skilled
.aborers.
1T is this assumption that anybody
AN stand behind counter and wait
lpon customers and the consequent in
lux of those little qualified for the
work that is one of the greatest draw
backs to clerking as an avocation. 1t
is this, not less than the Capitalization
Of population, that makes supply and
demand 50 radically abnormal. 1t is
true that only period of actual trial
will determine the fitness or unfitness
Of an individual for the work. The
trouble il, however, that men and
women do not fall out of the ranks
when it is reasonably proved that they
nave not sufficient aptitude. and new
generations keep fling applications for
1rial It is practically the old story of
skilled labor competing with unskillcd.
; TO casual observer it may seem
mi women enter a calling like clerk
. .ng where there is comparatively little
/ prospect for advancement and stay year
; liter year at IL salary little more than
! necessary for actual needs. Scores Of
: neu are to-day clerking in Chicago for
ess wages than shovelers on the street
; arm. Doubtless many of them are not
worth more than they get, and in the
A majority of cases, it would be infinitely
} ,ctter for their financial interests if
? hey would strike out for something
! Iew. For clerks as a body can see
title that could be held ont as induce
< nent, save only the possibility of gain
ng a meager living. In some lines Of
business, doubtless, disturbances of
t employment draws the multitude of re-
i fruits. In other stores the work is
: lard and scarcely desirable, and | am
4 inclined to think that the determining
n factor that induces men and women to
r become clerks and stay clerks is peo-
ole's unwillingness to assume risks.
Tall1 with hundreds of employees in diff
hat though they fully realize the
future of their calling and face it with
: reluctance, they prefer to remain clerks
J. 1t small or moderate pay rather than
d assume personal risks that may entail
a large profits or no profits at all.
a "Much is said of the relative worth
If Of male and female clerks. My owr
e opinion, based on half a lifetime of ex.
j. perience with employees, is that the
d value of help to store-keeper does MOI
e come to a question of sex at ALL but tC
g the qualifications of individuals-ta
n study, persuasion, accomplishments,
V nave known new recruits to be more
+. valuable on a few weeks experience
Is than old hands who had been years il
Y the business. Irrespective of age, Sc,
5; or nationality, the measure with which
lie 1 clerk studies his particular depart
le nent, identities himself with his EN-
lie ployers interests and caters to the
ir whimS of customers is the measure 0
e lctual worth. Sex cuts little figure
The percentage of excellent employs
u OiiC oJAs llllIh, NOulu DrtUbN wei
A. equal that of the other. am speaking
l. Of course, of the help of establishment
is where both sexes are usually employed
n There is a natural fitness of one sex O
10 the other for particular classes of bust
- ness, but that scarcely comes into con
~ sideration in estimating comparative
- worth.
d, LAS a rule there are few clerks VIII,
i'll 10 not become more or less careles
O. and Indifferent. A store-keeper coul,
Or scarcely do business unless he lai,
L. Town pretty stringent rules. so man,
st hours. 50 much pay seems to be IA sor
il Of motto for the majority of employees
Va TO minimize work and be attentive t.
~ the clock toward quitting time are pre-
vailing faults, and reprimand and re
Oh proof are almost Indispensable Chi
OF ,ago News.
g. The Duchess and the Doctor.