Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-06-04
INTEREST IN THEIR HELP.
Employers Who Care Nothing for the
Feelings Of TIER Employees.

WHY Va 1LVil GAp1u " OOs
THEY TREAT THEIR MEN LIKE
BEASTS OF BURDEN RATHER
THAN LIKE HUMAN BEINGS-A
SERVICE OF FEAR IS ALWAYS
A POOR ONE.
Copyright, 1889, by Charlz Nox Press
Bureau.)
NEW YORK, June Sin this letter
| am to write about employers, and in
next weeks letter about the men who
work for them. Let us look into both
sides CT the question and treat each in
fair spirit. Some men do not know
how to be good employers, and, were
all who hire others like these men,
there would then be sufficient cause for
a strained relation between the two
classes. Happily, this is not the case,
for there are employers, and many CT
them, too, who have truer conception
of the responsibilities of their position
than have some of the men who work
for them.
Within four blocks Of our office is a
business man CT whom his employees
talk with affection, because they know
he has their interest, as we'll as his
own, at heart. Some time ago, during
very dull season in business, he was
making much less money than usual
One salesman, large salaried man,
went to him and offered to work for
less salary until business was better.
The proprietor accepted the terms OF
the offer, and the reduction began i'm
mediately. After several weeks he
called the man to his Office and gave
him check large enough to cover the
entire reduction in salary. This story
man spoke in most kindly terms of him
as he related these facts to me. OF
selfish employers there are many, but
il does us good to hear of thing like
this. for it adds one more to the argu-
ments which overthrow the position of
those people who talk as if all employ
ers were the sworn enemies Of the men
WHO work for them.
1t is by no means an uncommon thing
to find employers who take a heartfelt
interest in the welfare OF the men who
work for them. Employers with
hearts?" asks somebody. Yes, and with
good hearts, too. Men who treat their
employees justly. pay them honest
wages, and. in fact, do by them as
they would wish to be done by were
the positions reversed.
MEN OF ANOTHER STAMP.
OF course we all know that some pro-
prietors are most unreasonable and sell
fish men, with no conception whatever
Of the responsibilities of their position.
1t is to be regretted that the need of
bread and butter makes it necessary
for other people to work for them, but
such is the case. If a mans ability, his
hard work and his capital make it pos
sible for him to become an employer,
he should never so far forget his man
hood as to have no regard for the feel
ings of people who work for him. These
people must work. and are dependent
TO some extent upon him for their liv-
ing. He can, if he choose, take advan-
tage of his position, and use his power
in being unreasonable and disagree
able toward them. They must submit
to it, or take their chances OF getting
employment elsewhere, and to get en-
ployment is sometimes a very difficult
thing to do.
ALTOGETHER TOO GRUFF A MAN
NER.
There are employers who order their
men about as if these men were beasts
of burden instead of human beings
like themselves. They show no more
regard for their feelings than if they
were slaves. Such a thing is degrad-
ing, both for employer and employee.
| A man who knows his business, and
| who wants to do the right thing by his
employer, does not need to be address
ed in loud voice and gruff tones, and
if man cannot do his duty without
being driven to it in this way, then he
deserves his dismissal the next min
ute. / do not mean that an employer
shall politely beg his men to do their
work, or shall accompany each order
with a smile, but l do believe that
every man who hires another should
treat him in manly kind of way,
and when he tells him to do anything
he should speak to him as he would
wish to be spoken to if he were in the
employ of another. This swapping one
up SO ungraciously is not the thing FOR
any employer to do. | know of wo-.
man who left off trading al one store
because she disapproved OF the way in
which the proprietor treated his men,
Rarely did he give them an order with
out hollering at them, and she came
to the conclusion that she would leave
her money with some dealer who knew
enough to treat his men decently.
LET EMPLOYEES BE SELF-RE-
SPECTING.