The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-19
WHY 50 MANY FAIL
Few Boys or Girls Can Write De-
cent Letters Applying for
a Place.
Heads Of Colleges Tell Why School
Graduates Do Not
Succeed.

The business men of Minneapolis
are certainly awake to the vast COM
merclal value Of correct and effective
English in business letter writing. No
movement has ever received more en-
thusiastic and hearty Endorsement that
The Joutrn nails appeal for bet
ter business English. M. w. Savage
! OF the international Stock Food COM
pany voiced the sentiment of the en-
TIRE business community when he said:
- feel that If all our statesmen, clerks,
| stenographers, ETC., We're thoroly quail
flied to handle correspondence, using
correct and effective English, they
would be worth at least Is per cent
more, and l should be willing to pay
the Iull value of the service" It is diff
iicuit to imagine a stronger appeal to
the young men and women who are
employed In our large business insti-
tutlons to make some serious effort to
master those elements Of their mother
tongue which nearly all have neg
lected. - !. = -. -, ?
Many young people, both boys and
girls, wonder why they do not sue
ceed IN their applications for positions
prominent business man said the
an applicant has had a university, high
school or elementary school education,
or no education at all, nor what rec
concentrations he brings T simply
ask him to write a letter stating clear
~. and simply, in his own hand, what
quailncatlons he can urge. Nine
tenths Of those letters are almost I'M
readable" - 49, 80 -,
~ The Business College. .s.S->@
None is better qualified to tell lust
why applicants. for business positions
are turned away than the head Of q.
business college, who is constantly try
ing TO push his students into good
pages IS. The following state clearly
lnaniilty, of the applicant to write a
cfedltable letter. Of application: ~
Many Consigned to the waste.Rask-+.
To the Editor of The Journal >t :;
am pleased to see The Journal take
a. literest IN the matter Of good
English, and I sincerely hope that vo,,r
paper Will succeed in arousing EMPLOYEES
ana young people In general in this
pranch OF study. I consider the matter of
higher education in English of great i'm
portance, especially to stenographers. The
puoilc schools are in error in cutting down
the time properly belonging to the com
mon branches. The public schools are
supported by the taxes Of property own
ers, OF which business men make IN a,
goooly number. 1t Is their duty thoroly
10 quailfy pupils in the common branches
"1t.HA Sl1oulu pe given frSt consideration
suchs as arithmetic, penmanshp, reading.
grammar, and rhetoric. Under the pres
emf conditions it seems impossible for the
business college to do this. A great ma
Jorlty of young people entering the bust
ness training School expect, and are very
o1ten disappointed If they are unable. to
complete their course in bookkeeping and
BUSINESS forms or stenography and type
writing In four or five months With the
studies which go with either of these
courses, 1t Is out of the question for the
business schools thoroly to equip young
people with good English educatio in
This length OF time. have in my Dos
session copies of nearly one hundred let
tiers, nearly all OF which are letters of ap-
plication. OF this number, fully 90 her
cent would be. consigned Immediately upon
receipt to the waste basket ,.~- +
.t..jE-. -. George A. Golden,
Vice President Metropolitan college.
Why They Fall to Get Positions.
To the Editor Of The Journal 49,
We have been greatly pleased with your
movement for more thoro training of our
young people in English spelling, punctu-
atlon and the proper use of language.
In our position the lack Of this train
ing is strongly felt The public schools
OF our country are doing a splendid work
for the children, and while we would not
called, We would most strongly urge that
more time and effort be given to plain
English, SO that the young person may be
depended upon to write creditable letters
In : business correspondence. We believe
that the Ina ability to do this fs tho couua