The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-20
BY r. q. LINTON.

briskly into his office, nodded to his
cashier, lighted cigar, and plunged
into his mornings mail
Il wonder what our new superin-
tendent has to say" he thought as
he tore open an envelope marked
Superintendent Office He read:
Dear Sir; Referring to your Octo-
Der reports, l note that your receipts
show a large decrease when compared
with the same month last year. also
note that your expenses show a very
slight decrease. Please explain this
and take at once the necessary steps
to reduce the expenses and increase
the receipts, Yours truly,
III. L. Brown, Superintendent"
'Whew!' he exclaimed. He is APP
parently not satisfied with my man
agement. That last report did make a
bad showing"
The Union Telegraph Company was
undergoing a reorganization. A new
president had been chosen at the last
meeting of the board of directors. He
was ambitious, aggressive, and bent on
making a record. He was selected for
the presidency on his record for cut
ting down expenses and getting work
out of men, made while he was gen
eral superintendent of division in
the West. Soon after his elevation he
removed a number of men-some be
cause they antagonized his policy,
some because they had fallen into "a
rut, and others on the general princi-
pie that it is good thing to infuse
new blood into the company.
He held that the wholesale removals
made the men that were retained more
Industrious. Fear was the prod he
used to urge his subordinates to work.
Mr.. Brown was appointed month
before superintendent of the district
in which John Davis office was situat-
ed. The old superintendent, who had
been in the service of the company
thirty years, was discharged. Mr..
Brown had been one of the new presi-
dents lieutenants in the West.
John Davis reread his letter. Sum-
moning his stenographer, he dictated
this reply:
Mr.. H. L. Brown, Superintendent
Dear Sir: Replying to your favor of
the 9th inst, / beg to state that the
decrease in receipts shown by my We
ports is due to general depression IN
business in this city. l have secured
the business of number of new firms
and am holding the business of all our
last years customers, but the manu-
facturers and brokers are not doing as
much business this year. l will, how
ever, continue my efforts to increase
the business.
81 do not think it practical to re,
duce expenses at this time. The pres
ent force could handle more business
but the force cannot be reduced with,
out requiring the men to work unrea'
sonably long hours or impairing the eff
ficiency of the service. Very truly,
- j. H. DAVIS, Manager"
When the letter was handed to him
for signature he hesitated.
THAT first part is all right" he said
to himself, but the last part VIII
CRATE on the nerves of the new super
intendent. if l have correctly sized III
the man. But mo- won't cut salaries
and won't reduce the force. Every
man here, from the messenger boys VI
to the chief operator, has stood by me
in my Efforts to improve the service
and get business, and | will stand by
them
He signed the letter.
AS he pondered, after mailing hi
letter to the superintendent, the re
cent changes in the company and Ih'
probable effects of the reorganization
his thoughts wandered back over MI
own experience since entering the ser
vice of the company. In this same OIL
fee, fifteen years ago, at the age OF y
he began his telegraph career as
messenger boy. He recalled Win
smile his feeling of responsibility
when he started out with his hrst mes
sage, and how elated he was when' o.
the night of that eventful day. IN
clerk inspected his delivery sheets an
found a signature for every message
Never since had he felt so great a re
sponsiblity or enjoyed so much u.
umph: not even when he was promo'
ed to delivery clerk; not when, aile
practicing for hours at night he wa
put on as an operator not wheh Il
was promoted to chief operator an
measured wires for crosses an
grounds with an accuracy that dehsh
ed the linemen; no, not wheh thre
years ago he was made manager
the office.
He knew and was known by ever
man in the city that did regular tell
graph business. He had carried me