The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-18
shirker Steals From Boss; Stays at
Bottom of Ladder
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(By Allan Wilsonl

Once upon a time there was a
young mar who had a position which
he considered beneath him. It was
a common, garden variety Of a posi-
ton, requiring little more than gram
mar school intellect for its success
full prosecution, and 1t was attached
to a weekly pay envelope containing
the $12 customary to such positions.
1t was office work. The young
man who is the hero of the tale was
an Office worker. Also he was a
firm worker" He worked the firm
for what technically is known as
further orders. This was because,
he explained, his position was
so far below him that it
wouldn't be right for him to
that it wouldn't be right for him to
Iput into his work his best effort, 10
telligence, and general ability. Why
should he? If he was getting SIS
a week-which was what he would
be getting if the head of the firm
knew anything about running an Of
flee it would be a different matter.
Then he would go ahead and work
up to the limit. But until then what
was the use?
Loses Chance for Promotion
So he kept on working the firm
as hard as he could, and the months
went by, and so did other people in
the of1ice-went by on their way up
the ladder-and the young man
stood still, perfectly still. Other men
with even less ability and experience
than our hero, crept upward on the
little 81 notches of the office ladder;
but our hero moved not. And he
stand how it could be.
But this is how it was, straight
from the boss: "Why don't I advance
him? Because the only position that
l could promote him to is one where
honesty is as important to the work
Jas ability, and this fellow isn't hon
est. He is dishonest, both with him
self and with the house. He is dis
honest with himself because he tells
himself that he is trying to do as
we'll by himself as he possibly can,
and this is a lie. He is dishonest
with the house because he pretends
to be doing the best work that he
can. This sort Of a fellow always
lpretends that. He has to. If he ad-
United for a minute that he was
not doing his best he would lose his
LOB, of course. So he lies there
again. Once more: He obtains mon
ley under false p%retenses. He is. en-
Gagged to do the best work that he
can do, and he is paid so much money
per week to do it-for the best that
lis in him.
Boss Proves Him Dishonest
There, that proves a pretty bad
case against the shirker of small
things on a minor job. 1t makes
him trebly dishonest. OF course no
employer who is not a triple dashed
fool ever will promote that sort of
a man to a position of trust and re-
s%ponsibility. And that's the reason
why the man who Il Sailing is
standing still, and why he will con-
tinue to stand still until the day
comes when he shows by his work
and his attitude toward the firm that
he has experienced a change of heart
and has become an honest man."
But the "staller," when it was sug-
gested to him that he was dishonest
three times in succession, gave only
a large snort, and said:
"Ridiculous!"
There is food for thought upon
which many young men may feed
with profit in this declaration of this
employer that the man who shirks
his work while he is in a minor and
poorly paid position is dishonest. 1t
is not only one employer who feels
and acts this way on this question.
IAN honest nan won't throw his
mouse down., II a big office man
to the writer a short time ago. HE
wouldn't be right to us; and he
won't do it because he knows it
wouldn't be right to himself So
we take the fellow who does shirk
and soldier on us and label him:
Dishonest And that makes him in
eligible for promotion"
Simple and complete. You do your
best, or the firm does you according
lily. Those who are stalling along and
doing only enough work to hold
their jobs because they feel that their
jobs are such as not to merit theis
full efforts, should take warning.
VVnrEor Should do Hir Roct