The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-05
BUSINESS EDUCATION.
GOOD COMMERCIAL HABITS NOT Il
HEAVENLY GIFT TO A FEW.
They Can be Acquired by All.

Sir Courtenay Boyle, K. c. b., per-
manent secretary to the board of trade
delivered lecture on Method and Or
ganization in Business" at Kings
Weigh House, Thomas street, Oxford
street, in connection with the evening
commercial school, Barrett street, Ok
ford street.
Sir Courtenay Boyle said that they
mad heard of the young man who, when
he was asked If he could play the fiddle,
said he did not know as he had never
tried. But he could not help thinking
that there We're very few men or even
women over twenty years of age who,
IL they were asked whether they could
do business, would not rather resent
the question and answer Eyes, UNI
doubleday" His experience was that
in business there was as much tech
nique to be learned, as much method
to be acquired, as there was In any
other of the spheres of life. They
could learn how to do business as we'll
as they could learn how to play chess
or cricket. Mr.. Punch that day put the
matter very well. He said, speaking
to lady, "Incompetency is a gift of
heaven, but habits of business can be
acquired" Gaughter.) The best bus
mess training that could be given to
young men and young ladies was that
which was given by the great CONNER
cial firms of London; but he was sure
the experience of business men would
confirm him when he said that the neg
lect of some of the most simple and or
binary rules had led to inconvenience
If not actually to disaster. Recently
he had occasion to know that man
very high up indeed in the affairs of the
world caused very considerable incon-
venience because when he escaped
from the trammels of those young gen.
tlemen sending very important tele-
grams without keeping any copy Of
them. There was, in fact no rule of
business so simple that it's observation
was not important.
There was right way to open let
tiers, and when they were open care
should be taken to see that the envel-
ope was emptied of all that it con-
tanned. This rule of the examination
OFF the envelopes was very often neg
leoted, and very considerable inconven-
fence was caused thereby. Then there
was the necessity for care in writing
the addresses Of those to whom the let
ters We're to be sent, and for seeing
that the address on the face Of the let
ter corresponded with the address on
the envelope. Not very long ago a very
serious trouble-he would not say 1t
was an international trouble, but still
1t was very serious-took place because
an important dispatch which was
meant for St. Petersburg got into the
postbag. There was a de-
lay of fifteen or sixteen days before
this very important dispatch could be
got back. 1t was a mere little bit of
on the part of the gentle
man concerned in putting the letter
nto the bag. There and other simple
rules were often neglected, and then
difficulty arose as the result Of the neg
ect. Another thing that was very i'm
oortant was accuracy. We always had
he temptation to be content with an
adequate amount of accuracy. They
srould also always try to understate
should also always try to undertake
state it. In business, and even in So
,ial arrangements, 1t was far better to
De a little bit below that which they
wanted to say than to put their propo-
stion and their statement too high.
Half the quarrels in the world, private
1uarrels, quarres between men,
luarrels between ladies, quarrels be-
ween states, were due to inaccuracy of
statement and to the using of phrase
which was too strong for the occasion
An amount of Irritation and vexation
vas thus caused which was entirely
oreign to the intentions of the speaker
II the writer, and which little care in
lsing an accurate phrase would have
,nabled the speaker or the writer to
void. They should therefore always
he careful to say little less rather
han little more than they meant,
md, above all things, In business and
n social intercourse, they should avoid
III adjectives like poison. daughter
nd cheers) In writing and in speak
ng the English language 1t behooved
g all to beware Of its ambiguity.
here was another little rule from the
eglect of which he had known of |
1any instances Of suffering.
IF they were going on an expedition |
hey should make list of the things
hey would require. They should write
down and think 1t over. Then they
lust be prompt. They must do what +
yer they had to do at once. They
lust do the days work in the day. and |
OF leave arrears--they would only ac-
On the other hand, they
ught not to anticipate difficulty or to
lake up their minds as to what they
rere going to decide in a contingency
'hich had not yet arisen. The enor-
lous Importance of study, work and
lie laborious learning of details could
OF be too earnestly inculcated They
ould learn facts and details which
'ould be of immense use to them at
tier stage and they would find that
nployers and heads of houses would
,oner or later call upon and use the ~
nowledge of young men or young wo-
EN- who had acquired a grasp of de-
ills in other branches of business over
I'd above that with which they were
concerned at the moment
emory might be cultivated and
aimed until it became brighter and
analysis and of thinking out diff
llties which arose could be cultivated.
hey should learn thoroughly what
lev had to learn A smatterine was
no use; superficial knowledge was of