The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-21

y
ployment. and the resulting facts would be
employees of such stores are better OF than
they could possibly be II engaged in small
retail bookkeeping. The field OF employ
ment is enlarged by the great store, and
the capital. enterprise and executive abii-
ity concentrated In the management OF
great business ere in a true sense at the
service of every employee. giving him wider
scope and greater opportunity.
A BUSINESS UNIVERSITY.
The modern store is meant TO be bust
ness university. Il, the first place. we have
civil service; and If 1 were offered to-day
the best young merchant in the country
could not take him, because it would be
putting him in the shoes of some man who.
perhaps. had spent years getting toward
that place.
We have schools for these men, and We
teach them not simply good manners. but
everything that is necessary for CONNER
cial education. We have done so for years
There is not thing that 1 know about
business that do not give to the heads OF
my departments. Everything we know We
give them. OF course. lose men. Some
times they will take man away from US
and give him double the salary, because
they think he has something that he has
got from us. That is the system.
The modern store opens new avenues OF
employment for women and enlarges 9TH
ers. and is, therefore. advantageous to
women. There is no reason why a woman,
a serious business woman, should not be IS
good as a man. We have women that we
pay as high as 5000 year. That is re-
markable; but it is not uncommon for
woman TO get $500. She must be keen,
bright, able. She can produce results from
1t. But a women who comes down and
talks about the opera she saw last night
and picks her fingers and fixes her back
hair at her desk counter and all that
sort Of thing, she does not get very far
and goes out in course of time.
The employment Of children is numerical
ly small factor. and. being regulated by
law. does not call for special comment.
A SUMMING-UP.
In general, it may be stated that large
retail stores have shortened the hours of
labor and. by systematic discipline, have
made it lighter. The small store. as COM
monty conducted before the department
store came, harder upon the sales
person and clerk. The effect upon the
character and capacity of employees is good.
n well-ordered modern retail store is a
means of education in spelling, writing,
English language, system and method.
Thus it becomes to the ambitious and Sc
rious employee. in a small way, university
in which the character is broadened by in
telligent instruction, practically applied.
Many employers have found it to their
interest to provide the means Of general
store service more intelligent by raising the
intellectual quality of it's personnel.
The large retail store has the power 10
dictate conditions upon which goods shall
be sold. and the practical result of this
power is the elevation of the ethics of re-
failing. Among the results thus secured
are the universal application of the one
price system, exact truthful statements
concerning values and qualities of goods.
and such general conditions of sale as to
command the confidence of buyers.
The great stock of merchandise constant
~ necessary to the large retail store is an
element of importance in the creation of
employment. Be the consumption of mer-
chandise never so great, the retail mer-
chants reputation must be sustained by
the preparation of and display of i'm
mense stock. The large accumulation of
goods thus held in store and transit from
maker to consumer supports great
amount of labor product.
The comfort and convenience enjoyed by
the public in shopping, the saving of wear
and tear of body and mind. the educating
power of well-displayed collections of prod
ucts of the fine and useful arts are Incl
dents in the system of modern retailing
that will go far toward justifying the pres
ent phase of development.
Assuming the sincerity and accuracy OF
the foregoing statements. it will be adj
mitted that the large retail store of the
period is beneficial to society, and there
fore has a substantial economic and moral
basis for its existence.
NJ A