Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-04-20
CLERKS IN STORES.
tome OF tho Causes That Operate to Keep
Salaries Down.


tome OF the Causes That Operate to Keen
Salaries Down.
''rhere are few lines OF occupation.
n which there is such an inequality Of
actual worth among men and women
irawing approximately the same pay
~ clerking," said city merchant Of
.ong experience. "Some people are
born clerks while others are chiefly
'erviceable for keeping the dust off the
tock. Personality, address, the faculty
of inspiring confidence. the ability to
explain differences and superiorities.
Ind dozen 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-
ole clerks Is not Over-large. To sell to
public that wants to buy and knows
what it wants is one thing; to sell to an
uncertain, wavering or merely curious
public Is quite another. 1t Is ability to
ieal with the latter that proves clerks
Usefulness TO his employer. Two clerks
working side by side on the same line
,f goods will show differences in their
aggregate sales wholly out of keeping
with the difference between their re-
spective salaries. Clerking is essential
ly n trade and the best clerks are skilled
tabOrers.
. 1T is this assumption that anybody
, can stand behind IA counter and wait
upon customers and the consequent in
g flux OF those little qualified for the
D 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
h demand so radically abnormal. 1t is
3 true that only a period Of actual trial
will determine the fitness or unitness
Of an individual for the work. The
o trouble is, however, that men and
women do not fall out Of the ranks
,e when it is reasonably proved that they
have not sufficient aptitude. and new
{ generations keep fling applications for
e trial. 1t is practically the old story OF
!, 'killed labor competing with unskillcd.
IS ITO casual observer it may seem
n strange that such multitude OF men
70 and women enter calling like clerk
a, ing where there Is comparatively little
"a prospect for advancement and stay year
after year at a salary little more than
h. necessary for actual needs. Scores of
as nen are to-day clerking in Chicago for
h, ess wages than shOvelers on the street
A ,arn. Doubtless many OF them are not
"A worth more than they get, and, in the
"a majority OF cases. it would be infinitely
,etter for their financial interests il
!. hey would strike out for something
lew. For clerks rs body can see
title that could be held out as induce
nent, save only the possibility Of gain
g, ng meager living. In some lines Of
business, doubtless. desirableness OF
" employment'draws the multitude OF re-
:, ,ruits. In other stores the work is
hard and scarcely desirable. and am
:. inclined to think that the determining
factor that induces men and women to
~ become clerks and stay clerks is peo-
ple's unwillingness to assume risks.
Talk with hundreds OF employees in diff
ferent kinds OF stores and you will find
that, though they fully realize the
future OF their calling and face it with
!. reluctance. they prefer to remain clerks
I. 1t small or moderate pay rather than
:. assume personal risks that may entail
Nv large profits or no profits at ALL
~ "Much is said of the relative worth
Of male and female clerks. My owl
~ opinion, based on half lifetime Of ex
perience with employees, is that the
value Of help to store-keeper does mo-
~ come to question of sex at all. but Il
the qualifications Of individuals-tact
y study, persuasion, accomplishments,
have known new recruits to be more
valuable on few weeks experienc,
than old hands who had been years il
the business. Irrespective Of age. Sc,
IS Or nationality, the measure with which
4 clerk studies his particular depart
ment, identifies himself with his EN-
% ployers interests and caters to thu
whims OF customers is the measure o
actual worth. Sex cuts little figure
The percentage Of excellent employe
-. Of one sex, think, would pretty vel
equal that OF the other. am speaking
he Of course, of the help OF establishment
re where both sexes are usually employed
N. There is a natural fitness OF one sex o.
re the other for particular classes of bust
n. ness. but that scarcely comes into con
"a sideration in estimating comparative
!. worth.
y "As a rule there are few clerks VIII,
~ do not become more or less careles
IS, and Indifferent. A store-keeper coult
is scarcely do business unless he lait
ly down pretty stringent rules. 7 So man.
on hours, SO much pay, seems to be a sor
or Of motto for the majority OF employees
n. TO minimize work and be attentive I,
- the clock toward quitting time are pre-
~ vailing faults. and reprimand and re
se proof are almost Indispensable. Chi
Vn cago News.
en- The Duchess and the Doctor.
as An old Duchess on one occasion re
nc ,,,oaxad H. Aharnethv IN nav a nrofas