Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-02
HEARD AROUND
THE CORRIDORS
BUSINESS PLUMBER
MENDS MANY LEAKS
BY THE EAvEsDRoPPER

/ M EMO WFhiNI S6fNhNN
| business plumber-a man who finds
leaks in business systems and mends
then-is the unusual visitor at the
Alexandria.
He is M. Martin Kallman of New
York and what he does not know about
business is really not worth consider
ing. In Los Angeles there has been
great deal of petty thieving reported
by merchants and as Mr.. Kallmans
fame preceded him across the states
he had numerous requests yesterday
from local business firms asking MIN
to consult with them as to leaks.
When the eavesdropper interrupted
him Yesterday afternoon at the Alex
andria he was debating some prescrlp-
tions to fit certain cases of leakage
which had been brought to his atten-
ton earlier in the day.
He is a dapper little man, possessed
of dynamic energy. He bounces around
like a bubble from one spot to anotner
as he talks and has a rapid-hring sys-
tenn of dispensing answers TO questloils
which is truly startling.
Mr.. Kallman has travelled around the
world prescribing for sick business
firms and he has a record of cures ana
leaks stopped which would do credlt
to any physician or plumber IN the
land.
He is a writer and a student of bus
mess and a series of articles, recently
published in the Saturday Evening
Post by him, attracted much ATTENTION.
He has been called to Lonoon anu
to various parts of Europe 10 miro
duce American business methods into
0f old world. ana IL
is said that in every case he has met
with the utmost success. He possesses
the manner of consciously successful
man. He is not an auditor and does
not concern himself with the books OF
a company, but examines the System
of a house to find out why business
is not paying. He also is handwrit-
ing expert and says he can tell the
character of a man by looking at MS
handwriting.
Gov wages are responsible for a.
great deal of the trouble In business
houses" said Mr.. Kallman. Employers
are to blame to a great extent Tor
their losses. They do not pay thelr
clerks enough in the first place ana
this causes the incentive to steal. Ii
they are weak it makes them weaker.
If the business man would only reaiize
it. he would pay his clerks better sal
aries and still make higher profits than
he does at present.
''The girl in a department store is
paid such low wages that she has lit
tie chance to crafty any of her rem
mine desires. She wants pretty things
and she cannot have them She sees
them around her all the time ana yeti
she cannot claim them.
1.-THE stock in a mans store is worth
more to him than his money. He pays
his money for the goods in the first
place and then he expects 10 per cent.
profit. Therefore his goods are worth
his money and 10 per cent. additlonal.
1t is so easy to steal something from
the stock in some stores, and this
should not be. There are leaks every
where in business houses"
Mr.. Kallam was called to California
suddenly on sad errand. A telegram
stating the death of his wife, who has
been visiting in Monrovia this winter,
brought him west.
Seeks Capital for Theater
To interest Los Angeles capital in
building a 100000 theater In Portland,
Oregon, is the mission of Calvin Helig,
president of the Northwestern Theatri-
cal association, who arrived at the
Alexandria yesterday.
The association controls seventy
houses in the northwest and headquar-
ters are at Portland. The Helig theater
in that city under Mr.. Helig's manage
ment plays the Klaw and Erlanger at
fractions, but the proposed new theater
is to be vast improvement on this
house in every way.
Mr. Helig has not been to Los Ange-
les for twelve years and he says that
in the few hours he has been in the
city he has seen marvellous changes.
"Helig is the Beau Brummel oil
Portland" said one of his friends in
the corridor at the Alexandria last
night. HE is just about the most
bachelor you ever saw"
'That's just exactly where you are|
wrong, old man." replied Mr.. Helig.
1t has been more than three. years
since you saw me and / have been a
benedict these three years with the
prettiest little wife you ever saw"
You don't say SOP" remarked his
friend in surprise. ANY other sur
prises?'
"Oh, no, only a fine little daughter"
"You don't say so? How old is the
baby?"
Baby, man-she's as big as I am
and IL years old. She was one Of
her mothers possessions when we were
married"