The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-07-08

snow low 6nOo8, SOCKS, and
the tumultuous colorings of the
same9l"What are you going to do?'
Other Young Man Tin louder clothes
and the prominent, fraternity pin)-
20. l. haven't figured Just yet you
know 'Tisn't bothering me yet; the
old man Inns . strong pull, you know,
socially and otherwise, and he'll land
me somewhere In a good berth"
But will he Can he? Fifteen
years ago probably these two ques-
tion marks would have been more or
less gratuitous. Today one might put
two more Of them after the statement
and not excite wonderment in the
business world.
For In this matter of pull of any
kind In bringing about a business pc
sitlon for the average w~ell-to-do
young man just out of college, the
times have changed almost past rec
osnition. Huge organizations of
capital. with vastly wealthy capital
lists as president. vice president, and
other active officials at the head of an
Institution. no longer lend counter
ance to tie old time pull method.
They are less immune from it's in
duence than is the single head of the
bie private business. Twenty men at
the head or the big corporation may
have q thousand friends and acquain-
tances WHO would like to command
positions Tor sons and sons of other
friends.
Blsineas' Manager Like Flywheel
But just here the Business Manager
becomes active.
This Basiness Manager is the one
Indispensable f1ywheel in the whole
business machinery. From him the
working force Of the organization is
delivered. Officers and board of di-
rectors look to him for sufficient horse
power; 'intelligently distributed, to ac-
complish results. How can they look
to him for an accounting If Thomas,
Richard and Henry IL. .arge have
been building the engine plant re-
gardless of proportions and the re-
suits. are not as they have anticipate
ed?
You've put in boilers and engine
whichaI haven't even, inspected" is
the complaint Of the Business Man
lker. you've ordered coal that 1
know nothing about. You are ex-
pecting 1900 horse power from The
driving belt. while it looks as if the
whole engine plant can't develop 100
horse, power"
This exactlv Is the position taken
literally by the business manager of
one Of the largest institutions in
dowtown' Chicago. At the same time
another business man, head of a
great commercial Institution, tells me
that he Is :heartsick Of the letters and
calls. and oyertures through third
persons. all. looking to him to place
young men in positions in the estab-
lishmentsof which he is virtually pro-
prietor and head.
Social Prestige Loses Force
II am manager Of this institution,
said the representative Of the big
downtown, corporation. Results are
required OF me: president, officers and
directors don't go to Smith and Jones
and Black and Brown to question.
They come to me and I must answer.
On this basis, then, l say that the
moment I am deprived of the power
OF regulating the Office machine I've
got to, resign.
To-day, in general, social prestige
Of any kind as a lever to lift a IA
vorites into q favored place has lost
most of Its force in just this way.
Where It is used, however, it most
frequently is in. the effort to lift
some one into high position in an es-
tablishmea regardless of the per-
sons knowledge Of that business fun
dsmfnt.ls. Such a thing is an i'm
possibility. Such a practice must
ruin. any business.
Every little while we hear Of Pa
pa Railroad president putting his son
out 10 learn the business from the
bottom UP. The son is 'braking' on
. freight train, we hear, and prick
up oidr sifs With interest. But what
an absuraity on the face of 1T. That
young mans whole life has been sucu
% to unlt him wholly from ever do
ing the real work Of the real brake
man. He can't get into sympathy
With the work even ii he has the
Ihysical strength and determination
ia. carry ont the plan literally. With