The Washington herald., 1913-11-13

Philosophy you KNOW Wnat IL
means?
''The art of making happiness epi-
demic;" that is the way II Is described.
The word has scarcely found its way to
any dictionary yet. but quite likely II will
in time II the dream OF the founder OF
the new cult comes true
William Vernon Backus. wealthy
Cleveland philosopher. SO the report goes,
has filed Incorporation papers for the
Appreciation League of the United
States" which he cheerfully promises is
to become world popular when folk wake
up to the good Il will do. He believes
he has found the royal road to happiness,
and, more than that the secret OF induc-
ing folk to follow that road. It comes,
he says, by way Of appreciation Of cur
tesy and OF making the WORM understand
that courtesy pays, in practical dollars
and cents.
And this is the way his cheerful phi
losophy is supposed 20 work. so that its
happy results shall travel across all the
seas and back again.
Members of the new league are pro-
vided with cards to be filled in with the
names and business address OF a clerk.
conductor, policeman-any one at al
whose courtesy has won him the distinc-
ton. There are spaces in which to place
a cross after any one or all Of the words,
Attentive, Cheerful, Sympathetic, Help
full. Courteous, and Polite
And the idea is that whenever a men,
Der. in the course Of his daily travels, is
the recipient OF a marked courtesy, he Is
still to fill in the card and mail II to the
Appreciation League, which. in turn,
sends the word along to the employer. or
wherever II will do the most good The
report is kept by the league, and II an
employe is honored for the third time he
is entitled to a special letter from the
league secretary to his employer and a
badge of merit bestowed by the league.
All of which is supposed to result in
a generous return of bread cast upon the
waters-for are not employees all over the
world looking fort men and women who
will go out CT their way to serve others?
The assumption is that, appreciative Of
courtesy. attentiveness, cheerfulness. po-
liteness, and all the rest as assets IN busi-
ness, an employer will slip in an extra
few dollars or so in the weekly envelope,
not as a reward. but from purely selfish
reasons Because, in business, as every
where else, courtesy pays; and he knows
IL.
As to the league, one Is not so very
optimistic of its success in this strange
old practical world; but perhaps even
the presence of the card might have a
wholesome effect upon exacting folk who
are very fond Of reporting an employe for
a little breach of something or other. 1t
might make them more ready to look for
courtesy rather than to magnify some
small hurt to their feelings; and II they
really Iooked for It. they certainly would
find 1t in no small degree Because, wher-
ever one goes in this hurried, hustling
world, one is sure to find employees, from
away up to the least Of all, who are never
too tired never too rushed to be helpful
and courteous. One meets them on the
railways. in the shops, and out on the
kings highway, but one seldom pauses to
remember that many times they are
asked to do more than they are paid for.
And. back In the big offices, where the
great powers are gathered, who knows
where the greatest courtesy rests, who
knows unless some one tells of an en-
ploye who interprets his duties very
broadly? The discourteous acts-oh. they
are reported often enough, but the nice
little acts af service that slip in and out
with scarcely so much as thank you"
are too seldom remembered beyond the
one moment of comfort.
And that is where the new cult will
come Unjust to carry along the brief
story Of a special showing OF courtesy,
all in the work of the day.
The spirit Of the new Philosophy" must
have been at work IN, a little village In
New York recently, when the telephone
subscribers united in presenting
diamond ring to the operating agent there
because they wanted to show their ap-
probation OF the prompt and efficient
service rendered by her at all times.
Not dollars and cents that time. but
every light and fash Of the brilliant