The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-13
sy ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

ant.
Not real pleasant" just for effect
Nor hypocritically smirking ever
and anon.
But pleasant from the heart
II would be one of the finest assets
of an employer.
Everyone Is human.
Everyone likes to be commended
and metaphorically, or even actually.
patted on the back now and then.
Likes to be told that his work Is ap-
preciated That he's doing it well.
That he's proving satisfactory.
Very rare is the employer. even in
the smallest capacity, given to COM
mandatory word on occasion.
Most employers are ready enough to
point out defects.
To complain of mistakes.
To frown and growl and scowl and,
oftener than not to "cuss."
All men are natural tyrants.
They've been combed down and res
trained, curbed, drawn, cut, pruned,
trimmed and made to fit into hole by
civilization.
But put the ordinary person, of eth
er sex for that matter, into position
of authority, and nine cases out of ten
he or she becomes a petty tyrant
Bullyragging round and hauling
those within the sphere Of their opera
tons on the carpet.
Many business men," too, seem to
be in a perpetual state of dark blue
crouch.
If approached they spit out at the
approachee, and insult or ruffle or ir-
ritate the latter sometimes to their
own financial undoing.
Courtesy is valuable asset.
Real courtesy-not the genuflecting
of the sychophant the boot-licking of
the toady, the flattery of the snob.
Nor the insinuating of the interested
those who are engaged in working
people for their own ends.
But genuine courtesy.
For the false can be detected from
the true-not invariably-but in final
shake-down.
Why is it that SO many people in
Offices affect a deep absorption when
people 20 in to see them on matters
either of professional or personal i'm
portance?
You hesitate in the doorway.
Man intent on something on the
desk
You say-"good morning'-or after
noon, "as the case may be-"
No response.
You repeat your salutation and tim
idly edge toward the desk.
No answer.
You murmur that you were just
passing and thought you'd drop in to
see what it was he wanted to see you
about
BY this time you have reached the
other side of the desk and common de
cency demands that he pay some at
tention to your entrance.
He looks up blankly, scowls. Gets
out his handkerchief. Takes off his eye
glasses, wipes them carefully, adjusts
them on his nose and gives you &
searching glance.
ooh, l didn't recognize you," he re
marks.
Possibly he's a deacon in YOU
church and you are chairman OF the
finance committee. Possibly he live'
up on the next block and sees you any
where from one to seventeen hundred
times every day.
But he desires to impress you will
his portentousness and his vast ant
overwhelming business acumen. HI
wishes to give you to understand tina
while he. doesn't disdain to borrow
your lawn mower and discuss the &c
ment sidewalk situation on you
street, that he is another man in hi
office.
He Is dignifed.
He is important.
do not monkey with the buzz-saw,
he says in effect.
Before you are half through tellin!
him what he has asked you to call a
the office to tell him-which you hav'
done for his accommodation and
some inconvenience to yourself-h
picks up a paper, gaZes at 1t, Jots dow
something on the blotter with his per
Gil, gazes abstractedly out OF the wiz
dow, clears his throat, walks acros
the room to the cuspidor, returns an
says that he's extremely busy toda
and can't give you any more time an
you might drop in again-and-
You retire somewhat flusteret
stumble over the wire mat at the dool
your hat rolls down the hall and in Al
endeavor to capture it your cola
twists and your necktie lands in tn
middle of your back.
You retire amiably damning you
Rodly, lawn-mower-borrowin neigf
Dor and wondering why in the name c
heaven you took the trouble to oblig
him.
It makes you mad every time 70
think Of his patronizing DISMISS
when the truth is you had gone in a
his request.
Later on when there is a church e
ection up you take savage pleasure
defeating him as your successor a
chairman Of the finance committee an
remove your account from the bank
which he was director although yo
really prefer it to the one on the Of
posite corner.
These are what was once called
some one succinctly, God A'might
airs"
Lots of people have them. Both i
offices and out.
But you find them flourishing