The Indianapolis journal., 1896-10-11
THE PARIS DEPARTMENT STORES.
System by Nyhtcs, the EMPLOYEES Are
Organized, Lodged and Fed.
New York Sun.

New YORK sun
The great department stores in Paris,
such as the Bon Marche, the Louvre and
the Printemps, carry the organization of
their employees TO point not dreamed of
here, and have IN operation extensive and
costly plans for stimulating the interest
and energy OF the help in the business to
or about $50 a year besides being lodged
and fed, and in addition a commission of
from 2 to per cent. upon his sales, so
that the lowest salesman rarely makes less
than Sl6O year. A head of department,
or buyer, as he is known here, may easily
of them exceed S. 600. While these figures
are low compared with the $4,000 and
seem high when measured by the scale Of
salaries that prevails in France Thus the
best paid among the higher employees re-
ceive larger salaries than the Presidents
of sections in the council of state and gem
erals of divisions. The average pay of an
experienced salesman is about 4 600 francs,
or $500 year
The total number of employees at the Bon
Marche and the Louvre is about 3 0G0 each
among whom are only about 400 women. In
the Bon Marche and the Louvre lodging in
the buildings provided by the establishment
is optional for employees of both sexes less
than twenty-one years DID, in the Prin-
temps it is obligatory. The Louvre has on
modating $50 male employees and not far
from it another where 100 young girls are
liar accommodations. All these establish
ments are conducted under peculiarly
stringent rules. The girls have parlor
where entertainments are organized on
Sunday and certain evenings of the week
but from which the other sex is excluded
utterly. Not even a father or a brother
may be received there.
All the employees receive their meals in
the stores. except the highest, and these
are permitted to eat outside, and receive
an allowance of 800 francs year in the way
of communication of rations Furthermore
married employees are allowed to dine at
nome, and receive a communication of one
franc day. The average cost of food is
from ~ to 40 cents 4. day for each emplove
hhe fare consists, at the Louvre of one
helping of meat all the vegetables and
OF cIaret. For dinner soup is added At
the Bon Marche the employees may ask for
two hetpings of meat. The average daiIv
quantity of food consumed in one of these
establishments includes $500 quarts of
soup, 5000 pounds of bread. $500 pounds of
meat 12G0 pounds of fish 500 bounds Of
butter and ten barrels of Wine At the
Louvre the kitchen force includes fifteen
COOKS and eighty walters. The cost of tha
1909 sT,fl exceeds 100000 francs a year.
The great stores have a. medical service
Tor their employees, which includes an in
urinary and outings in the country or at
the seashore. In addition, when man or
a woman completes seven years of SER
wee at the Louvre, q sum of l. 600 francs is
credited TO him in the pension fund and
afteTWard $50 francs year up to his ff
tleth year of service. The savings fund of
the Bon Marche amounts now to A0n non
francs and 00000 francs is added ann1lajIx
and in addition there is pension f11n5
founded by Nine. Boucicault who built m
this immense business, which now amounts
to 6000. 600 francs -