El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-04

commercial schools OF the
United States met recently IN
Louisville for the purpose of getting
closer together in the work Of train
ing young men and women for the
market, the counting house, and the
other innumerable activities in which
the student of the business school must
be fitted to engage.
Omitting the large number of teach
ers who are connected with the bus
ness departments of schools that teach
other things beside commercial courses,
there are some $500 teachers in schools
that give instruction in nothing except
business arts. There are nearly o6e
such schools. and their annual enrol
ment of pupils aggregates $4,000
young men and women.
Big Demand for Men.
There never was such a demand for
young men trained in the art OF Dus'-
ness record keeping as there is today
The same applies with equal force 10
young women. except that the de-
mand is more nearly met by the su3-
ply than in the case of young men, In
IS years the number OF pupils enrolled
in schools teaching nothing but com
mercial courses and shorthand and
typewriting has practically doubled In
a single year the gain amounted 10
more than 1900.
There are about one-seventh more
men in the commercial schools OF the
country than there are women, though
when 1t comes to shorthand and type
writing the girls are decidedly in the
majority. In the last fiscal year there
were two girls learning shorthand and
typewrlting for every boy that was
taking a similar course-3S.000 girls as
compared with $4,000 boys.
Women Still In Majority.
This disproportion Of women in the
study Of the amanuensis course obtains
also in the number of graduates turned
out. More than 49, 900 women were
sent out into the world of business last
year. and only 5000 men. From this it
will be seen that the women still hold
safe grip on this kind Of work, al
though they have been losing ground to
a certain degree during the past de-
cade
Ten years ago there were nearly
three women stenographers 10 each
man amanuensis. Gradually the de-
mand for men stenographers has in
creased, and 1t is still increasing.
The government service affords a
notable example of this increase in the
dnland for the man stenographer.
decade ago the woman was always
favored for such positions, but there
has been such shift of sentiment
among government officials that now
man is preferred IN three cases out
of four. This preference has reached
such a stage that TO become a prof.
cient stenographer now almost insures
a man a life position under the civil
service. The supply of male stenogra-
pliers for the government far from
equals the demand. while thousands OF
women are on the civil service waiting
list, hoping that they will be called TO
position.
Few Women BoOkkeepers.
While the women have a marked
taste for shorthand and typewriting,
they show comparatively little inclina-
ton TO take up the regular CONNER
cial course. of which bookkeeping is
the central study. Here the ratio is
changed and there are two men stu
dents of bookkeeping and allied arts
to one woman student Of the $4,000
pupils taking commercial courses in
exclusive business colleges, $4,000
graduated last year.
The figures OF the bureau of educa-
ton show that there are now approx
mately a quarter of a million young
men and women fitting themselves for
service in the commercial world In
addition TO the business schools about
which data is given above, there are
1910 public high schools when now
teach business courses and about 500
other institutions which give similar
| instruction.
The First Business School,.
1t is said that the first business
school in the United States was estab-
lished in New York by one James Ben
/, nett He was succeeded in the man
agement CT this school by James Cor
don Bennett, founder OF the New York
Herald. who INDUCED in much pub
licity for his institution and built il
UP to no mean success. But ne soon
decided that journalism was the pro-
fession 10 which he was called and
the New York Herald is the result OF
that decision.
The next exposition of business
equipment is to be held in Berlin
Every known appliance for the reduc-
ton OF detail work the enhancement
OF the capacity OF the worker, and the
elimination of error is exhibited at
these business expeditions, and the
whole world acknowledges the superb
, GRITTY of American ingenuity OF hand
ling large business transaction with
easy clerical work
The tendency of the time in bust
ness record keeping seems 10 be ex-
actly summarized in the motto of one
of the big establishments engaged in
office Quitting business with the
drudgery cut out" The American ex-