The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-11-20
PARIS DEPARTMENT STORES,



System by whish the KmpIoy~s. Are Or
ganizsd. LodErd and Fed
The great department stores In
Paris, such as the Bon MArche. the
Louvre and the Printemps, carry
the organization of their employees
TO n point not dreamed Of here and
have in operation extensive and
costly plans for stimulating the in
terest and energy of the help in tho
business to the highest degree. The
new employee receives at the start
n salary Of 400 francs, or about $50
n yesr, besides being lodged and fed.
and IN addition n commission Of from
2 to per cent upon his sales, 80
sAat the lowest salesman rarely
makes less than si60 n year. A head
of department. or buyer. as he Is
known here, may easily make from
s2. 500 70 S3. 600 year, and some OF
them exceed IS, 900. While these fig
ures are low compared with the sio,-
600 and $50, 600 salaries paid in New
York, they seem high when meas
ured by the scale Of salaries that
prevails in France. Thus the best
paid among the higher employees
receive larger salaries than the pres
idents of sections in the council of
state and generals of division. The
average lay Of an experienced sales
man is about 1000 francs, or $500. a
year.
The total number Of employees at
the Bon Marche and the Louvre is
about 3, 600 each, among whom are
only about 900 women. In the Bon
Marohe and the Louvre lodging in
the buildings provided by the estah-
lishment is optional for employees
of both sexes less than q years old.
In the Printemps it is obligatory.
The Louvre has on the Avenue Rapp
a great building accommodating 25c
male employees, and not far from IL
another where 100 young girls are
lodged. The Bon Marche furnishes
similar accommodations. AL these
establishments are conducted under
peculiarly stringent rules. Tho girls
have n parlor where entertainments
are organized on Sundays and GER
tain evenings of the week, but from
which the other sex IS excluded ut
terly. Not even a father or n broth.
/ er may DO received there.
All the employees receive their
meals in the stores, except the high.
est, and these are permitted 10 eat
outside and receive an allowance OF
500 francs n year in the way Of com.
mutation of rations. Furthermore,
married employees are allowed "a
dine at home and receive n commu.
tation of franc a day. The average
cost of food is from 30 to 40 cents q
day for each employee. The fare
consists at the Louvre of ono help
ing of meat, all the vegetables and
bread that Gun be eaten, dessert and
a pint of claret. For dinner soup /.
added. At the Bon Marche the EN-
ployees may ask for two helpings oI
meat. The average daily quantity oi
food consumed in one of these es
tablishments includes .. 500 quart,
of soup, 1900 pounds of bread, ?, so
pounds of meat, /, 200 pounds of fish
500 pounds Of butter and 10 barrels
of wine. At the Louvre the kitchen
force includes Is cooks and 80 wait
ers. The cost Of the food exceedl
1000, 900 francs a year.
| The great stores have n medica
service for their employees, whiol
includes an inhrmary and outings il
the country or az the seashore. Il
addition, when n man or n womal
completes seven years of sa&yioe a
the Louvre. n sum Of 1000 frapcs
credited to him in the pension fund
and afterward 200 francs n year N
to his fiftieth year of service. tn
r savings fund of the Bon March
/ amounts now to 1000. 600 francs
and 2O0, 600 francs is added annually
and in addition there Is a pension
fund founded by Nine Bouoioault
= who built up this immense business:
: which now amounts TO 5000. 90
francs. Now York Sun.