The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-10
ERRORS IN ANSWERS /
Many Try Tests in Spelling and
Punctuation, but Without
Complete Success.
Use Of Good English Among En-
ployes Greatly Desired by
Employers.

The little experimental examination
in business letter-writing and spelling,
given in The J o ur n al yesterday
and the day before, has reused inter-
est on all sides and has afforded some
profitable amusement. Among the
answers sent in sof far not one is by
any means correct or even adequate,
tho many have been prepared by really
intelligent and presumably well edu-
Gated business correspondents.
1t will pay every business man in
minneapolis to attempt a criticism of
the letter and spelling test published
In yesterdays Journal.
The greatest hindrance to the use Of
good business English lies in the fact
that most business men who have had
q college or high school education,
think they speak and write good Eng
lsh when the do not, and have be-
come so accustomed to their own err
rors and those Of their associates that
they do not recognize them as errors.
Letters are coming to T h J GU r.
n a from every direction expressing
appreciation of T h e j our a Is
stand for a higher standard Of bust
ness English and a. large number Of
business men have criticized the bust
ness letter published yesterday. To
all such a correct version will : be
mailed, but none so far has sent in
q WI SSI CIlL1C1S1Il. g.g-ga
What Employers Say.
To show the interest which the av-
erage employer feels in the better edu-
cation of his business force in every
department few expressions are
r. D. Jones Of John W. Thomas & CO.
says: ~: -
IT am pleased to see The Jour natI
take an interest in this matter Of better
business English, and if it can arouse the
sentiment of business men on the subject.
1t will accomplish much good. There is
certainly great need of improvement along
the lines of spelling, grammar and pune.
tuat1on-espec1ally the latter Instructors
in stenography and typewriting need to be
more careful in turning out I'll prepared
pupils, recommending them solely from
the speed standpoint. This is the least
important. Have them write good Eng
G. r. Gordon of the Minneapolis Dry
Goods company said. substantially:
7 find 1t very hard to make employees
realize the necessity of using correct Eng
llsh. have one man in my employ
who has been with this house for years
and who is one, Of it's most valued men,
but whose every business letter must be
closely watched. He is a high saiaried
| man, but he would be worth more to us
| If he could spell and could write let.
ter correct dramatically. The ability tc
use correct English would very much in.
crease the value of every employ Of this
| house, $751; =. ,a|; - = ) IT,
J. H. Evans of the New store:. ''Therf
is much room for and great need Of i'm
fproVement in the standard of English useC
In ordinary business. The employee il
any department Of our business who use.
correct English, is worth much more thar
Is the, one who speaks or writes incor
rectly." -'>< s@ ~.
D. Draper, Dayton of Dayton Dry Goods
company: If T h e j u II al can sue
tceed in areusing the interest of our EN-
ployes in good English and in arithmetic
! too, it will confer blessing upon then
and upon this house which will certainl,
! be appreciated. It is hard to get TIN
1 average employee to realize the high val
uatfon which the employer places upol
i good English. call to mind an instanc
In which an excellent man in every othe
q respect was recently refused promotion
i Which3he greatly desired, and for wticl
4 he was In every other way competent
tsimply because he was unable to meet tn
one important requirement. This house i
willing to pay we'll for that accomplish
ment and Is now considering system 70
the criticism of every business letter sen
i out by its employees. One Of the principa
! reasons for the bad grammar and poo
1 spelling and punctuation Of the ayerag
of the schools have cut down The tim
I formerly devoted to English and mathe
! mates. in order to take up basket-weav
! ing, clay modelling, etc."
1 Frederick G. Atkinson. manager Wash
i burn Crosby Milling company: 'If ma,
/, in my employ can't spell correctly, writ
/ dramatically and word his letters intel
ligently and effectively, discharge him a
1 once" + 4. -. ~ s.
M. w. Savage. president Of the Interna
tional Stock Food company: IT conside
the matter of higher education in Englis
Of very great Importance to our employee
fnasmuch as I feel that If all our sales
men, clerks, stenographers, etc, wer
1 thoroly qualified to handle correspon
1 dence, using correct and effective Eng
lish, punctuation and spelling, they woul
be worth at least rs per cent more
would be willing to pay the full value O
the service. I am glad to note this agi
tat1on and hope h Q ur a l may fin,
a way to raise the standard of efficienc,
in this respect"
John Schlener merchant and member Q
the school board: ."This% agitation TO
4 more correct and effective business Eng
fish is Of vast importance-as much so t
employe as to employer, and l Shout,
4 think the business men, especially thos
4 employing large forces Of clerks and cor
i respondents, would not be slow to appre
ciate and lend their encouragement to an
movement tending to raise the standard