Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-01

lAA = i directs gets better paid than tn
| FdfMSAE man who executes They see
lSsxs9 railway manager travelling arouns
| the country in magnificent privat
car, debating letters to his secretary. ISSUING
orders broadcast and apparently doing yer,
little manual work; they notice that the pres
ident of a great bank, corporation or al
insurance company spends but fazneDur
daily at his desk and seems to be having
very easy time; yet both manager and pres
ident receive salaries largely in excess Of th
subordinates who bend over the desk or stant
at the window all day long.
| Now this may seem unjust, but it is not
| A moments thought will convince you tina
no bank, railway, company or corporation
will pay its president ten thousand dollars 8
year if they can get man equally as good
for five thousand dollars.
But they cannot. Men who know how tc
direct the affairs of a vast concern, employ
ing hundreds and thousands of men and
millions of capital, are very scarce and com
mand their own price.
Such men know the GINS and outs" Of the
corporation of which they are the head, and
should it be necessary could fill any position
from the lowest to the highest
The president of a bank, for. instance,
knows how to keep books, act as teller and
cashier, negotiate loans and even act as mes.
senger. The manager of a railroad, who per
haps began life as brakeman knows how
to couple cars, take up tickets and 50 on UP
to directing the affairs of the entire system
Il paid bill the other day, said Brook
lyn manufacturer, without mufmur, sim
ply because Of the way it was worded. My
engineer found his hot water pump would
not work, and after puttering at # for an hop'
sent for machinist. He bothered with d
II was much annoyed, for chat meant
stcppage of my factory for long time. Bd.
fore / gave the order to take it to piece
some one suggested that neighboring engt
neer be sent for, as he was a sort Of genlu1
in the matter of machinery.
HE came, and after studying the pump
Iawhile, he took hammer and gave three
short raps over the valve.
reckon she'll go now he quietly said;
and putting ea aav steam The pump RI did o
for $3.50. The price amazed me, but when
1 had examined the items, I drew check at
once. The bill read this way:
Messrs. Blank & Co.,
To John Smith. DR..
For fixing pump ...........-... 50
Had he charged me $3.50 for fixing sap9S che
pump, ! should have considered it exorb-
recognize the value of knowledge, so / paid
the bill cheerfully."
Another case In point occurred to a friend
OF mine, who had been troubled with pains in
his back and chest for some time. He CON
suited a prominent physician, who made q
stethoscopic examination and then told him
to wear woolen underclothing in summer as
well as winter.
"And he charged me ten dollars for telling
me that!" exclaimed my friend, Indignantly.
.3H IBID it 90 yoy any good? ! inquired.
~Well. wasn't it worth ten dollars to be
cured?'
"of course it was. but--ten dollars just
for five minutes work!'
"And how much for knowing how to ex.
knowing what would cure itw
IT never thought of that" said my friend.
slowly
That's the trouble! So very few people
think of the time and study necessary to
know how.
his instrument, makes notes in his field book.
and to the ignorant on-lookers seems to be
having an. easy time on large salary. They
do not take into account the years OF study
and practice that the engineer went through
to acquire his skill and precision.
The matchmaker who looks into your watch
and picks out a tiny bit of fluff or little
hair with is tweezers, does what you might
have as easily done if you only knew how.
So with thousand other trades and pro-
doing as for knowing how, and the more
difficult the knowledge is to acquire, the bet
ter the pay.
That is the reason why boy or girl
sbould never stop at the rudiments of any
trade. art or profession. Do not be content
with a few mechanical tricks, but master ali
the details; know how to do everything from
bottom to top. and presently you may let
other less enterprising people do the hard
work. while you reap the reward Of your
-~l...l<xo