Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-09-15
A BUSINESS TRAINING
The Methods That Are Used In
the Schools of Germany.
CLASS ROOMS AS OFFICES.
ne Pupils Are Divided Into Firms
That Carry on an Imaginary Trade
With Each Other-The Course From
Office Boy to Director.

With Each Other-The Course From
Office Boy to Director.
No one will deny the fact that Ger
mans are among the keenest business
men In the world. And undoubtedly
one Of the secrets of their success lies
In the fact that in German schools
boys are taught the practical details
Of business. The writer recently re-
turned from Hamburg after years
course of education. and an outline of
the system of training boys in business
may be interesting.
On my first days attendance l was
handed a time table on which appear
ed, set out In formidable array. such
subjects as commercial correspond
.,ence. laws Of bits Of exchange. cur
rercE political economy and CONNER
ciaI Law. none Of which at the time
conveyed much to me and raised seri-
GUS doubts ii my mind as to whether
should he ahiGtn understand and ap-
preciate what Appeared to be most
abstruse subjects. 500
At9a m. sharp on the following day
the course began, prefaced by a cou-
pie Of hours hard study. for the Ger
mans are gluttons to work and think
nothing of twelve hour day. The
first course was called business train.
ing" We worked in two spacious
rooms furnished as offices. each room
representing different business house.
These two firms carried on an imagi-
nary trade with each other, and the
routine adhered to was modelled exact
~ on the lines Of first class business
establishment.
Each firm had a director and these
two were the most eminent students In
the academy. They had subject to
their management and control com
plete staff of correspondents. short
hand writer's. typists. bookkeepers. etc.
The whole was supervised by mas
ter. to whom reference was made in
case Of dispute or difficulty.
On making my appearance I was in
formed that my services were In re
quest as an Office boy. was some
what taken back. not to say little
Inundated. by the lowly position as
signed to me. and gave the master to
understand that | considered I was
qualified to occupy much better post
than that which he had chosen for me
He did not seem In the least perturbed
by my remarks. but said: You have
already made a mistake--a mistake of
diplomacy. One of the great maxims
Of business as taught here is to do
what you are told. to do 1t at once and
do 1t we'll"
s. With that he handed me pile of
Envelopes and loug list of addresses
md told me TO set to work addressing
khem. | did so. but not with very
good grace, the master coming round
from time TO time TO inspect my work.
For two solid hours | plodded on until
II a. m. when the course came to an
end Then took the opportunity Of
going up to the master again and ask
Ing him If he did not really think
had been wasting my time IN what
had been doing
''f,ot in the least" said he In
everything Bo matter how simple or
how diglcn'f, there is always Il good
deal e learn Il Won have paid attep
tion while you were WORKING you will
he7c learned something about the ee-
oeeaEhy Of the Gersan empire. for
each address contains rho u2me Of
e9lhe, important town and province IN
which II is situated and The name of
safne lrm celebrated for some partieu-
Lac Glass otgoods
This aava n food fer reelection As
n matter 90 feet. ! haA not paid the
leaat attention - wsaf had been
writing: con e1reltlF had failed 10
derive the benefit which il was the
masters intention should obtain from
what seemed 10 me at the outset u
most senseless task. on the following
day | resolved TO follow out the mas
tef's Instructions TO the letter. and
was surprised TO fud how interesting
tfe work became.
! continued addressing envelopes for
two hours a day for whole week, and
the next week | received promotion
In this way 1 went through the whole
routine. from office boy to director,
and the experience which | obtained
10 the various capacities has proved
Invaluable to me in business.
As director had to sign checks, die
tate letters. enter into agreements with
fhe other firm with reference to the
Aaie and purchase of goods. keep m
eye on tile money market. work out ar
oitrage calculations. draw up and In
0orse bills of exchange and bills OF
hding make out periodical statements
OF affairs. allow or dispute amounts
placed to the debit of the firm on &C
count OF general average losses and
y