Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-21
Growth of Commercial Education
Bv Frederic j. HaSkin

| business appliances is growing rapidly.
One of the surprising things about
| business education is the large num-
| Der o. shorthand systems that are in
| use. OF course there are really only
| two basic systems but on these there
| are innumerable notifications and
nearly every system has its own spe-
| cial journal. There has been a merry
war of 'pothooks' going on for some
time, each system claiming superior
| ity 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 sys-
TENS 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 the page.
The business school claims the honor
of originating the great principle upon
which all modern industrial training
is based "To learn to do by doing"
Long before industrial training became
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 de-
partment store were all in full opera
tion. The stud s who were ad-
vanCed 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.
Il takes, in round numbers, nearly
two million 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 two hundred thousand are
stenographers and typewritists. The
remainder belong to that great class
designated as CLERKS and copyists,"
The great strides in business SYSTEM
ization that have taken place in the
past decade have not sufficed to meet
the demands of the country's ever
charging business activities, but have
resulted in a practical doubling of
forces.
The treasury department of the
United States has the biggest book
keeping system in the world. The de-
mands made upon it are past the con-
ception of the layman. There is an
income Of nearly a billion dollars
year to be looked after. 1t comes in
from thousands of sources, sometimes
in millions at a time, and at other
times in pennies, nickels and dimes.
But every penny that comes in must
be properly entered, even il it is but
a contribution to the conscience fund.
Then there is an outgo of billion
or thereabouts to be looked after.
Sometimes t happens that Uncle Sam
owes a person a single penny, and so
careful is he to meet every obliga-
ton that more than once he has is
sued a warrant for one cent in order
to square up his accounts. But this
does not a ,Jays suffice to clear them.
The recipient of such a warrant often
frames 1t as a souvenir instead Oh
having it cashed. The result is that
there must be carried forward to the
next year an entry in the bills pay
able account showing that this war
rant remains unpaid. 1t often costs
the government many dollars in cler-
ical work to square off a penny ac-
COUNT.
The expert man stenographer was
never in such demand as he is today,
and when he builds up a reputation Tor
speed and accuracy he has a most Valu-
able business asset. A notable example
of this is the case of Robert Taylor OF
Minnesota. Years ago he started out
as an ordinary stenographer, but by
the time the big Standard Oil cases
started he had made such reputation
that he was agreed upon by both sides
az the OttlClal court SlenuSrdpItI' lIlS
case made 10000 pages of typewriter
matter, and Robert Taylor made for
tune out of it, even if Uncle Sam did
not get his 100000 fine.
Theodore Shuey, the principal stenog-
rapher of the United States senate, is
another instance of the career that
awaits the proficient stenographer.
Years ago he was just plain country
lad, and grew up as a farmers son in
Virginia. BY application to his pot
hooks" he has made himself one of the
most important personages in WASH
ington. The senate would miss none
of it's members more than it would miss
him. He can write with both hands at
once, and the senate never gets into
such q Wrangle that he cannot keep
account of every 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 so assured as when he
makes himself an expert accountant or
great stenographer. Both take great
patience but possess great opportun-
titles.