Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-11-17
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TUESDAY EVENING. NOV. il 1896
PARIS DEPARTMENT. STORES.
System by Which the Employees Are Or
ganizcd, Lodged and Fed.


ganizcd, Lodged 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 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
a salary of 400 francs, on 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 s160 a year "A head
of department.. or buyer, as he is
known here, may easily make from
81, 500 to So, 600 year, and some OF
them exceed 50, 900. While these fig
ures are low compared with the So,
900 and $50, 900 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 pay 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, 200 each, among whom are
only about 400 women. In the Bon
Marche and the Louvre lodging il
the buildings provided by the estab-
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
great building accommodating 250
male employees, and not far from it
another where 100 young girls are
lodged. The Bon Marche furnishes
similar accommodations. All these
establishments are conducted under
peculiarly stringent rules. The girls
have 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 broth
or may be received there.
All the employees receive their
meals in the stores, except the high
est, and these are permitted TO eat
outside and receive an allowance of
500 francs year in the way of com
mutation of rations. Furthermore,
married employees are allowed to
dine at home and receive a commu-
tation of franc day. The average
cost of food is from 80 to 40 cents q
day for each employee. The fare
consists at the Louvre of one help
ing of meat, all the vegetables and
bread that can be eaten, dessert and
pint of claret For dinner soup is
added. At the Bon Marohe the en-
ployees may ask for two helpings Of
meat. The average daily quantity of
food consumed in one of these es-
adjustments includes $500 quarts
of soup, 5000 pounds of bread, $500
pounds of meat, 1000 pounds of fish,
500 pounds Of butter and 10 barrels
of wine At the Louvre the kitchen
force includes 3 cooks and 50 wait
ers. The cost of the food exceeds
1000, 900 francs year.
The great stores have medical
service for their employees, which
includes an infirmary and outings IN
the country or at the scashore. In
addition, when man or q woman
completes seven years of service at
the Louvre, sum of 1000 francs is
credited to him in the pension fund,
and afterward 200 francs year up
to his fiftieth year Of service. Tho
savings fund of the Bon Marche
amounts now to 1000, 900 francs,
and 200, 600 francs is added annually,
and in addition there is pension
fund founded by Nine. Boucicault,
who built up this immense business,
which now amounts to 5000, 600
francs.-New York Sun.