San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-10
SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1897.
"THE CREDIT MAN"
An Important Person In the Com
mercial World.
HIS Duties Are to Protect Large Con-
Germs from Imposition on the
Part of Unknown Gus
toners.

The functions of credit man are not
generally known to the public, but he is
in many respects the most important
person employed by mercantile con-
Germ. Briefly, he is supposed to be in
formed concerning the commercial
standing of every firm or individual
with whom his own house has any deal.
ings. He is kind of walking Brad
Streets" and the firm for which he
works has the exclusive benefit of his
Investigations, his knowledge and his
experience. 1t does not trust to him
alone, of course, because in the case of
a large house there would be rather
more than he could attend to. The regu-
lar mercantile agencies are depended
upon for certain amount of informa-
ton, usually that which concerns the
Oldest and richest corporations, about
whose solvency there is commonly no
question. The credit man may, however,
If his employers suspect necessity for
it, be called upon to probe still further
than the regular agencies go, in order to
make assurance doubly sure,
When would-be buyer from some re-
mote part of the country presents him
self to firm to which he is entirely I'M
known, he is introduced at once to the
credit man. The latter receives what
ever credentials the stranger has to
offer, and if he is satisfied that the
house will run no risk in selling to him
he states the fact, and his judgment is
accepted. Various considerations de-
termine the amount of security which
a new customer is required to show,
and not infrequently it is stipulated
that he shall have real estate backing
which is known to be responsible. The
credit man also figures out at once the
largest amount of credit which can be
granted to the new buyer, this being de-
termined according to the figure at
which he is rated.
subsequently, as he runs up bills for
goods, they all pass under the credit
mans watchful eye, and if it is found
that the customer is close upon his
credit limit the last purchase is often
held until it is proved to certainty that
its delivery will entail no loss to the
firm. This process of keeping track of
every buyers limit imposes a never
ending task upon the credit man, and
Il Is one which requires delicate hand
ling, too. While great caution is nee
essary, there must be as few needless
suspicious as possible, for these are
often the means of driving away per-
fectly trustworthy customers, who feel
themselves insulted by the reflection
upon their financial methods.
In cases where there is good ground
for believing that customer will bear
watching the credit mans investiga.
tions are very thorough. He inquiries
as to the private affairs of the buyer in
question; finds out as nearly as Eossi.
BILE the amount of his income, and how
his money is invested. and keeps an
eye as well upon the way in which he
lives and spends. With every precau-
ton, however, there are many losses,
and it is the business of the annual con-
vention of credit men to discover bet
ter ways each year of protecting mer.
camille interests.-N. Y, Tribune.