Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-05

ern, business appliances is growing rapidly.
One of the surprising things about busi-
ness education is the large number of
shorthand systems that are in use. OF
course, there are really only two basic
systems, but on these there are innumer-
abe notifications and nearly every sys-
tern has its own special journal. There
has been a merry war Of "pothooks'' going
on for some time. each system claiming
superiority and supremacy. Some systems
are hard to learn, but when once mas
tered the tongue cannot move too fast for
those who write them. other systems are
easy to learn and up to a certain point
will work as well as any other, but beyond
a certain point they become too slow and.
try as the writer will, he cannot keep
tine pace.
TIL business school Gains the honor of
originating the great principle upon which
all modern industrial training is based:
ITO learn IT, do BY doing" Long before
industrial training became a fixed idea, the
business schools had instituted college
money and business transactions, in order
to train their pupils. The college bank.
the college express and freight office, the
college commission house and the college
department store were all in full opera
ton. The students who were advanced
were placed in charge OF the institutions.
while the beginners dealt with them. In
every particular the methods Of business
in its actual doing were simulated.
1t takes. in round numbers, nearly 2,OOO,O 600
men and women to look after the clerical
side Of the business life of the nation.
A half million Of these are bookkeepers
and accountants, and about 200, 1000 are
stenographers and typewriters. The re-
mainder belong to that great class destR-
mated as clerks and copyists.' The great
strides i'm business Decentralization that
have taken place in the asst decade have
not sufficed to meet the demands lof the
country's ever-enlarging business activt-
ties, but have resulted in a practical
doubling of forces.
The Treasury department OF the United
States has the biggest bookkeeping system
in the world. The demands made upon IT
are past the conception of the layman.
There is an income of nearly 81, 900. 900. 900 a
year to be looked after. 1t comes from
thousands of sources, sometimes in mil
lions at a time, and at other times In
pennies, nickels and dimes. But every
penny that comes In must be properly en-
tered, even II 1t is but a contribution 10
NNN AhAAds AlNH lltIe is an QUITO
of a billion or thereabouts to be looked
after. Sometimes 1t happens that Uncle
Sam owes a person a single penny, and SO
careful is he to meet every obligation that
more than once he has issued a warrant
for 1 cent in order to square up his ac-
counts. But this does not always suffice
to clear them. The recipient Of such a war
rant often frames it as a souvenir instead
of having 1t cashed. The result is that
there must be carried forward to the next
year an entry in the bills payable account
showing that this warrant remains unpaid.
1t often costs the government many dol
lars in clerical work to square off a penny
account.
The expert man stenographer was never
in such demand as he is today, and when
he builds VI a reputationifor speed and ac-
curacy he has a most valuable business
asset. A notable example of this is the
case of Robert Taylor OF Minnesota. Years
ago he started out as an ordinary stenoe-
rapher, but by the time the big Standard
Oil cases started he had nfade such a rep,I-
tation that he was agreed upon by both
sides as the official court stenographer.
This case made $1,000 pages Of typewriter
matter, and Robert Taylor made a for
tune out of 1t, even IL Uncle Sam did not
get his s2s, 200, 900 fine.
Theodore Shuey, the principal steno-
grspher Of the United States senate, is an
ether instance of the career that waits
the proficient stenographer. Years ago he
was Just a plain country lad, and grew up
as a farmers son in Virginia. By applica-
ton to his ~"pothooks' he has made him
self one of the most important personages
in Washington The senate would miss
none of its members more than it would
miss him. He can 'yrite with both hands
at once and the senate never gets into
such a>wrangle that he cannot keep ac-
count Of Nevery word that is spoken. George
B. Cortelyou is another who reached the
top rung of success by the business school
route. There Is hardly any other line OF
endeavor where a mans success is 50
assured as when ne makes himself an ex-
pert accountant or a great stenographer
Both take great patience. but possess great
opportunities.
by FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.
TomOrrow-rHE PASSING OF STEAM