The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-05-17
A LABOR PROBLEM.
What Is to Become of the Unemploy
Old Men?

what Is to Become of the Unemployed
Old Men?
Any person who has the time and
inclination to walk through any of our
large commercial establishments would
no doubt be surprised at the number OF
youthful, to say nothing of Juvenile,
faces that are to be found among the
cases and behind the counters and
desks of these great business houses.
The natural inquiry suggests itself:
Where are the men employed? For,
certainly, there is never a man to be
found where boy will answer the pur-
pose. Girls also-young ones at that
are becoming more and more common
in these places. Inquiries in one or
two instances elected the reply that
boys were ambitious, willing to learn,
adaptable, and could be taught new
methods and progressive ideas more
readily than men, whose habits were
in many cases established on old lines.
While there is SAVIOR OF truth in all
this, purely financial reason in most
instances lies back Of it. Boys and
girls work more cheaply than men and
women, and therefore are more profit
able where they can be employed.
Within five years time, three-fourths
Of the mature faces have disappeared
from one of the largest business houses
in New York City, and in their place
are youngsters of ages ranging from
fourteen to twenty-five years. While
this is all very well as far as 1t goes,
and the employment and education Of
the young is an excellent thing, 1t can
not but raise in the minds Of thought
full people the inquiry, What is to be.
come of middle-aged and elderly men2
The clerks and other employees in
houses where great amount of bust.
ness is done are scarcely required to be
trustworthy in the sense understood a
quarter Of century ago. In many in
stances the employe never handles q
dollar in money, all purchases being
paid by presenting slips at the cash
merely passes the amount of the cash
to messenger who is required 10 re.
cord the sum, said record being com.
pared later in the day with the entry
in the clerks book. Therefore, il may
be seen that, to certain extent, hon.
esty is not requirement, as the en-.
ploye has little opportunity for indulg.
ing In any carelessness where he is SC
inclined.
For all ordinary purposes the clerk
may be any one that the employer
can employ cheaply. OF course,
this does not apply TO all classes
of employees, but it does, TO a certain
extent, in business houses where
manual labor, handling goods and
work Of its class, are required. There
is very little, If any, chance TO take
away goods, as all employees are under
the most careful scrutiny, every pack.
age being examined.
Even Office work, that formerly
seemed to demand maturity of thought
and idea, has become so systematized
that boys and girls seem to get on with
II very well.
1t is said that every year thousands
are dismissed, TO make room for much
younger, because much less expensive,
men; and, as one of their number re.
marked, not long since: "Itwill soon be
question what middle-aged or an old
man can find to do, short of shoveling
snow in winter or gravel on railroad
in the summer season.
Undoubtedly this problem will find q
solution in the natural progress OF so
ciety toward better conditions, and
that knowledge and experience will
never be less valuable in the world
than they are now.-N. Y. Ledger.