Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-06-09
AMERICAN SUCCESS.
A Frenchman Contrasts British Meth.
DDS With Ours.

Lucien Serraiiller, of lie Perreux,
France, writing to the London Times,
says: THE American employer con-
tends with less efficient assistance from
the rank and file, who blessed with
a restless temperament, are frequently
prompted to change their allegiance
to other firms in the hope of better
ment. He is, to a greater extent than
in England, hindered by strong labor
unions, whilst politics, which affect so
largely industrial conditions. are
factor of instability unknown in Eng
land.
Nevertheless he succeeds, and l at
tribute this mainly to the fact that he
is willing to take risks. Life, after
all, is a game of chance, and he who
will not play unless he is sure TO win
perforce stands by inactive, which
amounts relatively to falling behind.
An American is not content with one
thriving business, but will speculate
in another enterprise or twenty, rely
ing upon success in one to compensate
for failure in another; whereas the
Englishman, with his prejudice against
novelty and his horror of failure. runs
less risk, but at the same time less
chance of a brilliant success. With
him a new idea stands condemned for
its very virtue. and unless it pre-
sents the elements of immediate sue
cess and he can be assured that some
one else has already done it, he sell
dom accepts the undertaking.
| once endeavored to introduce a
new machine into England and offered
1t on trial to a leading firm in the
trade at no expense to themselves and
with no conditions of purchase They
refused on the plea that they already
had all the most up-to-date machines;
such a reply from an American firm is
inconceivable. Another English firm
refused to book orders because they
had enough work for two years ahead.
An American firm would, | imagine,
have risked an extension of plant and
continuation of orders to recoup the
outlay. These are two typical in
stances of the method of marking time
which hardly constitutes progress.
Another risk the American will as
sumo is to sell goods at loss with a
view to create a new market, relying
upon the force of habit which leads a
customer accustomed to a certain ar
ticle to gradually pay an increasing
price for it, until the sale becomes
profitable.
Again, the American pays particular
attention to the selection and promo
ton of his subordina,es, trusting his
judgment rather than testimonials and
certificates, which play so important
role in England, and which are, after
all, only the opinions of third parties.
The American employer quickly gaug-
es the value of his new assistant and,
if desirable. will promote him over the
heads of his seniors who have staked
a claim for advancement by sitting on
Office stools for period of years. To
place new man suddenly in a position
to command is risk which is often
worth the while. The American bust
ness man recognizes that the success OF
an enterprise largely depends upon
efficient assistants, and it is his en-
deavor to secure the best and attach
them to him by making their interest
common with his own. 1t is men that
tell, not systems The judgment OF al
Englishman is liable to be affected
by prejudices of caste, family connec-
tions, nationality, precedents and past
records. A recognition that intelli-
gence and integrity stand before al
other considerations is a wonderful
lubricant to the wheels of progress.