Nome weekly Nugget., 1909-07-24
ALI BABA'S
 PHILOSOPHY
By Ebert Hubbard.

By Ebert Hubbard.
 At the snop where l work there is no more faithful artist than Ali Baba. The Baba is grizzled and gray. has a stubby whisker, nice brickdust complexion. and chews pigtail plug.
 People who have lived in the village for forty years tell me that Baba has not changed in appearance in all that time, so he must be near one hundred years old.
 However, he is healthy and active. He is the first one on hand in the morning and the last to leave at night He takes care of the horses, milks the cows, carries in the luggage, cleans bi- cycles. and, when it rains. skirmishes around and finds umbrellas and over shoes for ail the girls. The Baba makes himself useful but I am sorry to say his vocabulary is not always the language of Chesterfield.
 As a matter of conscience, when an order is given to Ali Baba, he gently pooh-poohs it, patronizingly indulges it, or boldly shows you where your propositions are puerile and preposter- ous. All according to whether the time is before or after dinner.
 After the order is given he goes and does just what he pleases. And be it said to his credit that what he do,s, usually. is the right thing.
 Baba grumbles in order to convince himself and others that he is not under the heel of the tyrant. Once I made him the flat opposition. thus: "IIere you. Babl. when tell you to .lo things you always kick. Now. if you will .eaS" grumbling when I order things done I'i give you five dollr's extra each month. Is it bargain?"
 The old man picked up straw. chewed on it meditatively, smiled, and replied: "No, Pm gettin 'gough wages, I guess. You mean all right, but you give too dam many orers. Leave things to other folks little if you can. The world will have to git along with out you some day, and it might as well git used to 1t now as any time. Climb out O this barn now-I want to sweep up,"
 He grumbles. and still he does tEe
  lie awake nights wondering whether the cows have been watered, pr the horses bedded. or in the Winter the barn dO;r is properly fastened O the driving snow will not make a hank under ny best cclt I know positively that all is snug and secure, and covering myself in the warm blankets, I fall asleep content and at peace. saying "Babas at the helm!'
 And so I wonder after all if we who are clothed in little brief authority do not give too many order and busy ourselves with a pickety activity in and pecking and lying in wait to see that some one does not shfrk his duty.
 Is it not better to select your man and then rely on him-put faith .n him, and show by your manner that you know the thing will be done?
 I rather think so, for in some way OUT mental attitude under right condi- tions infuses a heroic quality into others. When you believe in a man you put him on his mettle.
 There are a great many men who are eminently capable of doing good work. who never get the opportunity, simply because their employers will not trust them.
 Suspicion. surveillance and doubt are thrust upon them. when faith, good cheer and confidence should be given instead
 It was some years ago that Ali Baba gave me the advice about not giving too many orders. I did not exactly realize it at the time, but I am now fully convinced that in that particular utterance my colleague struck twelve.
 In the first place. Ali Baba attempts no task. nor line of work, of which he is not absolutely master. In conversa- tion he may roam the universe and flood the world with theories. but in actual life he knows what he is going to do, and he does it.
 And so have found that Ali renders the best service to humanity when he is not handicapped with too many or 1ers and instructions. In frantic ef- fort trying to remember the fnstruc- tions he would in all probability slip the main issue into the yeasty deep.
 Ali Baba is right-as a people We give too many orders. Thers are too many laws-too much legislation.
 Let us "boss" less and trust people more.