Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-30
DEPARTMENT STORE EDUCATION
By Frederic J. Haskir

The department store is fast be-
coming a regularly organized educa-
tional institution. Aside from it's
indirect educational influence in the
improvement of public taste, it is, in
many cases, conducting classes of diff
ferent grades. 1t hires trained teach
ers to give instructions to the young
er employees in the same subjects and
after the same methods used in the
public schools of the city. In addi-
ton to these regular subjects, spe-
ctal lessons on craftsmanship and 9TH
er commercial vocations are given by
methods harmonious with the daily
work of the store.
A few weeks ago, a department
store in Youngstown, Ohio, rendered
an elaborate reception to a young
woman from Boston who had been
engaged to open a store school in
September She is employing her
summer in becoming acquainted with
the store methods and the younger
employees who are to be her pupils
that she may arrange a schedule of
highest efficiency to begin next month.
A large bright room on the top floor
has been set aside for a main school
room. 1t has three class rooms ad-
joining. The firm provides suitable
furniture and equipment, including
the requisite text books and a well
SelSCleu reference library.
Youngsters Must Study
In a number of cities. the stores
will not accept the services of a boy
or girl in any capacity who has not
completed the full eighth grade work,
except upon the condition that they
attend the store school. Failure to
make proper use of the advantages
provided may form grounds for dis
missal. Each child is given a GER
tain number of hours per week for
class work, the classes alternating
with each other in way which will
not interfere with the store work
In stores in which an eight o'clock
opening is still in vogue, the classes
for salespeople begin at that hour
because the earlier part of the day
is usually the time when they can
be best spared from their work. The
crowded trade conditions of the af-
ternoon require the full selling force
for the store business. The employees
in the shipping, mail order and
stenographic departments may re-
ceive their instruction in the after
noon since their busiest times are
in the early part of the DAY.
Help All Employees
BY a hearty cooperation between
the heads of the departments and a
careful classification system, progress
to arrange a schedule by which every
employe in need of or desiring more
education may be given q certain
time to acquire it. The increased
efficiency secured has been found to
more than compensate for the fnan-
cial outlay of the firm.
The compulsory education law
fixes the age limit before which no
child may. leave school. 1t has failed
to fix the educational standard so de-
partment stores are beginning to do
that. With eighth grade work re-
garded as the minimum and high
school work placed within easy reach
even after the wage earning period
has begun, the store employees of to-
day cannot fail to secure a higher
education than was possible even ten
years ago.
The most recent development of
the store school is it's cooperation
with the public school system. In a
number of Boston stores, both girls
and boys who desire to attend GER
tain classes in public high school are
permitted to do so and suffer no loss
of wages for the time spent. Time
tickets are signed by the teachers to
certify to their attendance and even
attempted cases of truancy are un-
known. The teachers cooperate with
the store to the extent of arranging
classes at the hours in which IL is
most convenient for the store to have
the students away from work.
In Los Angeles, the cooperation
between the larger stores and the
commercial high school is very close
Salesmanship is taught in the high
school by moving pictures taken in
the stores and lectures given by the
heads of different sales departments
In addition-to this. pupils of the high
school are permitted to come into
the stores at certain hours for practi-
cal demonstrations of the different
branches of selling, billing and classi-
flying of goods.
The children who have had to go to
work In the stores before they were
able to enter high school receive in
structions in that work by regular
teachers. 1t is expected that arrange
ments can soon be carried forward by
which these employees. through the
combined facilities of the store school
and the public high school, may be
able to attain high school diplomas by
spending year or two longer than
would have been required If they had
been able to give their full time to
study.
The Mississippi College of Agricul-
ture will establish a new course in
kindred work this fall. intended to