New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-01
NO CHANGE BEYOND FORTY |
THE AGE AT WHICH MEN WITHOUT
GENIUS LOSE THEIR USE
FITNESS
From The London News.


GENIUS LOSE THEIR USE
FULNESS
| From The London News
1t H. find. Just as you say sir. I.have spent
some hours to-day running about London and
talking with everybody could find who had
( anything 10 say upon the subject. and they all
agree with you. that clerks are as the sands OF
thc seashore. and that at the rate at which We
are gong a man will have to he bit Of
genius TO earn his bread"
ION. it's an old story" said one gentleman
who Is the manager Of n large employment
agency connected with a religious organizations
| IT'S an old story. that difficulty of getting en-
ploym"nt after certain time of life.
res It's an old story and very dismal one
But the men up in Hyde Park yesterday con-
/ tended that il was an increasing difficulty
What do you think about that? You must be
in position 10 form reliable opinion upon the
subject Do you think 1t really is as they say?
i am inclined to think it is, was the unhesi-
tatinS reply, and tn speaker proceeded 70 give
| me pretty much what | had heard I'm other
forms In various parts Of London including one
! or the best informed business centres in the
city. 1t all comes to just about what you say in
your leader note this mornng-that in order to
hNe IL ls necessary To be blt OF ger (.
man must be abo 10 elbow his way Upward
and To shove others aside, and he may get on
in tho world and do fairly well.
But look over there said gentleman, ris-
Ing from his chair and pointing across to the
windows OF n large city house as full Of clerks
NJ hive is full Of bees Those young fellows
are mere machines. Anybody can do their
work. and their utmost market value is about
- n week-f2 los at tho very utmost-and the
majority OF them will never get beyond that
Something moro than the performance Of
| mere routine duty is requisite TO enable man
| to rise a little above the common herd but even
when he has risen and won a fairly good place
| in a big house OF business, woe betid" nm II ne
gets out OF situation on the shady side OF
! forty. For Junior clerkshps, | was assured
there are more openings than applicants, but for
tho seniors there arc far more applicants thah
openings.
You sec" said one Of my nformants bust
pess houses like If they can. To- promote their
Younger hands. If they can help il they don't
like TO hrinC I'm stranger and put him over the
heads of others on the other hand, even II "a
middle AGED man who had been getting a good
! salary. is willing to take tho pay of Junior
clerk. they don't like To give H. 1t doesn't look
| we'll"
The head Of the employment agency | just
referred to mentioned the case Of man who
had been for many years enaEcd in the count
| .ug room Of an important city house but VINO
! had had the misfortune to find himself IN
capablo Of meeting the requirements of new
| management and modern methods, and he'd
| to 60. There seemed really nothing against
| him and member Of the firm he mad worked
! for actually commended him very strongly TO
| tho best cN,rtiOn of the agency. and privately
| stood his friend IN way he certainly would
not have done If nc had been IN any way
| morally undcservlng. Every oXerton Was
! made 10 find an opening. and ono gentleman
at length expressed his willingness to take nm
| although ne would have preferred a younger
man Under his special circumstances, ana with
his special recommendation, he offered him i've
| and-twenty shilhnss a week. Il was such a
| dolcful drop that he refused IT, and now, SAID
| This man. II believe ne would be glad TO get
! ten shngs.
II is very commonly believed that when men
come down I'm the world in this way It is their
| own fault They drink or they gamble or they
| misconduct themselves, and it need hardly h'
| said that that is the secret or an lnm, hse
| amount IF distress. There were susge. ions IN
| tho Park on Sunday pointing in TINS dlrecuoh
| When character IS very decidedly below par III
any way. It cannot be surprising that the Gh-
| la - IL. e.
| But wherever / have inquired to-day matters
| OF character were pretty much left out OF ac-
| count. 1t was taken for granted thaI men must
| have no moral planes Of very serious I'M
| Dortance but oven without them, IT was al
| lowed on all hands that this cry Of too old al
| forty" is a genuine enc, and that the uheh
| Moved are really on the increase. Al one
| agency that has been going for some years
| was told that the numbers on registry are
| greater considerably this year than they were
| last and that last year was an increase upon
! tho wear before and as will be seen from what
! has been said. II is not exactly true as mas
! sometimes been said. that there IL aiWays
| world il is rather at the bottom ~ the ladder
! that there is most room. ana though or course,
men Of good character aud hIst rate ARMY may
| still find plenty Of room at the Top me un
| Fortunate folk who cannot boast ~ me hehc-t
! ability and the best equipment cannot Eel IN
| either at top or hcttOm. did. Indeed near OF
! one or TWO demands for well qualiied men IVr
special positions. and at the moment the supply
! G., rtainly stemcd To- fail
u had" said my informant a Be'ueiilt"
s-nd to ask mo 10 find him at once man cap
! oIlo of taking charge of his counting house re
! specified no limit of age. except that the eanol-
! date must hc over thirty, ana as To salaiy INA.
might be Il los week or upward ne uIu iol
cnrs much what he paid. 50 long as ne got
good man send me three at once t. look a.
vas the request And ! only able 10 ma
two suitable men," said the manager anu o'
Of them was taken
This. however II seemed 10 he admitted was
/ an cxceutional case. 1t was aHoWed that inc
| difficulty Of men Of forty and u"ard was reaI
one. and that IT was undoubtedly increasing.
.TIave you any way Of accounting for II
well" was the reply In effect. you see
man NAV 60 on and ON and may really al HNe
and forty DEE worth not penny more than ne
was at five and twenty. y young man can 40
his work just well, and, perhaps petter' ana
comes II good deal cheaper. don ihlhA t h"t
II is I'm a general way the private employer VINO
shows any disposition 10 cut down expenses ny
getting rid Of old hands. and employing young
ones in their places l'ut 1t ~ me G'ihPaItl17s
/ who do II OF course. there are some dctcstably
? ,neon EMPLOYERS who do II systematically, nut
| NV experience is that they are exceptional
among private employers but the minute prl-
votc concern becomes a puhHc company 'Hey
begin at once 10 cut down expenses. ana salaries
/ ar. reduced or old hands are got rid or and
| Younger and cheaper ones taken IN
THAT is really a frghtfully SERIOUS eXplana-
ton and I am afraid there IS no doubt 1t Is
true"
ION. It is a frightfully serious explanation.
for private businesses arc becoming companies
| an all hands The managers If these concerns
are responsible only to the directors. and the
directors to the shareholders The company has
neither body to be kicked nor a soul to be
saved Nobody feels himself morally response
Die. and tho only remedy seems 70 be an appeal
! 10 public opinion
Alas alas IT is poor lookout 'or those who
frd themselves perhaps still hurdenod with
family cares and expenses. still IN me prime ~
th"Ir mower. but in daily jeopardy Of plunge
iown into tho ranks Of the unempoyd And
only public opinion" to look To Pr help.
corr CROQTET
From Tie London Globe.
yrn are not SURPRISED 10 learn that the re-