Evening star., 1897-02-06
DErARrMExr STORES OF PANS.
System by which the Employes Are
Organized, Lodged and Fed.
From, the phyIs 6oyv,t. p.~.o~a

System by which the Employes Are
Organized, Lodged and Fed.
From the Philadelphia Record
The great department stores in Paris,
such as the Ben Marche, the Louvre and
the Printemps, carry the organization of
their employees to point not dreamed Of
mere. and have In operation extensive and
costly plans for stimulating the interest
and energy Of the help in the business to
the highest degree. The new employe re-
ceives at the start a salary Of 400 francs.
or about $50 year, besides being lodged
ana FED. and in addition a commission Of
from to per cent upon his sales, SO that
the lowest salesman rarely makes less than
tl6o year. A head Of department. or buy
from $500 to 5000 q year, and some of
them exceed 5000. While these figures are
low compared with the $4,000 and $40 600
salaries paid In New York. they seem high
VIXEN measured by the scale of salaries
that prevails in France Thus the best
paid among the higher employees receive
larger salaries than the presidents of sec
tions In the council of state and generals
of divisions. The average pay of an ex-
perienced salesman is about LOCO francs or
$500 year.
The total number Of employees at the Bon
Marche and the Louvre is about 5000 each,
among whom are only about 400 women
In the Bon Marche and the Louvre lodging
In the buildings provided by the establish
ment is optional for employees Of both sexes
iess tnan twenty-one years old; in the Prin-
temps 1t is obligatory
The Louvre has on the Avenue Rapp a
great building accommodating $50 male en-
pioyes. and not far from it another, where
iOo young girls are lodged. The Bon Marche
furnishes similar accommodations. All these
establishments are conducted under pe-
culiarly stringent rules. The girls have q
parlor where entertainments are organized
week, but from which the other sex is ex-
cluded 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 500 francs a year in the way
or communication Of rations. Furthermore
married. aemployes are allowed to dine at
nonse,?and receive communication of one
fpanc a day. The average cost of food is
from ess to 40 cents day for each employe.
The fare consists, at the Louvre of one
helping to meat all the vegetables and
bread that can be eaten, dessert and a pint
OF claret. For dinner soup is added At
the Bon Marche the employees may ask for
two helpings of meat. The average daily
quantity of food consumed in one of these
establishments includes $500 quarts of
soup, 1900 pounds of bread, $500 pounds of
meat, 1,2OO pounds of fish, 500 pounds of
butter and ten barrels of wine. At the
Louvre the kitchen force includes Is cooks
and 10 walters. The cost of the food eX-
ceeds 2,0OO,OO0 francs a year.
Ihe great stores have medical service
for their employees, which includes an in
Urinary and outings in the country or at
the seashore. In addition when a man or
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 a year up to his
fftieth year of service The savings fund
OF the Bon Marche amounts now to 1000 :
oOO francs, and 100000 francs is added an
nually, and in addition there is q pension
fund founded by Nine. Boucicault, who
built up this immense business, which now
amounts to 100000 francs