The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-17
WIVES At CONVENTION
WHILE HUSBANDS WORK
National Cash Register Company
Holds IA Novel Session
i'm Dayton.
TEACHING sALEsaANsHp
Object Is to Make Women n Greater
Factor In Husands' Success--FIrst
ConventiD Of Its Kind Ever to BE
Held.

Dayton. O., Oct. i6.--Imagine a ma
tionai business convention exclusive
iy of the wives of the men who usual |
ly attend such meetings.,
This is exactly what is happening !
this week In Dayton. where the wives |
of agents and selesmen of the Ma |
tional Cash Register company are
holding the most unique and inter-
esting business convention ever held. :
More than 500 women are here. hav-
ing come from all parts oftthe United
Staten and Canada The convention,
now in session. is an intensely prac-
teal affair. In which the women are
In which their husbands earn the daily
income. Meanwhile. the men are
home. hard at work.
Recognizing n Wife's Influence.
In many particulars the convention
Is unique proceeding. and 1t places
a new value on the influence of wo-
men in business way. It is full
recognition o. a wife's influence as a
factor in the business success of her
husband. and II represents the first
effort to apply that influence. on a
national scale. to craftsmanship.
In the opinion OF John Fl. Patter-
son, president OF the National Cash
Register company, the direct result
will be Increased efficiency of the
company's selling force. But the eff
feet, it IL expected. will be far more
than that. for II the experiment in
this instance is success 1t will prob
ably be tried by other practical bust
ness men who are ever on the watch
for new ways to promote more
cordial relationship between employ
erss and employees,
How Idea Originated.
The idea originated with Mr. Patter-
son, end when he was asked what
had inspired IT, he said:
'It is the result of a firm conyic-
ton that the powerful influence Of
women can be utilized TO increase the
efficiency of our selling force, to the
mutual advantage of the company
and each individual in its employ.
mo practical man in touch with
present dcy activities can be unmind-
full of the radidiy Increasing influence
OF women in all lines In the homo
and in the church, woman's in
fuence has always been conceded,
but the recognition of her qualiftca-
, tons to have an opinion on most
other questions has come rather slow
ly. In recent years. however. wo-
man hrs rapidly been proving her
ability in many new fields. including
business.
First Convention of Its Kind
I'm many instances have observed
the influence OF a wife in the advance
ment of the man in business And
! the thought came to me, IL this is SO
/ in some cases. its an-he SO in all
/ cases It occurred to me that per-
! ha ps II would he c. good thing TO
! have the wives OF the agents and
/ statesmen of the National Cash Regis
/ ter company know more about our
/ business We experim ented in our
/ own way along this line. among other
| things hold 7r conventions. to which
/ the wives as we'll as the statesmen
were invited The result was con-
yinc.ng and out of that came the
| definite pur pose of holding this con-
veution.
| TT is The first convention of its
| kind ever to be held. While our
agents and statesmen are going about
| their regular duties at home. their
wives are here in Dayton learning
about the business. BEFORE they re-
lrarn hogse ;they win know how a
/ cash register is built. for we are CIV
| ing them exactly the same informa
ton tha1 their husbands would get
If they ere here, We are pointing
out to thin, for Instance. the great
/ precision and accuracy necessary In
making the various parts of a cash
register, III some cases requiring
| easurements accurate to the one
ten thousandih OF an inch.
VIVA. Wives Are Learning.
/ 1--WE are also telling the wives wha'
craftsmanship means. We are Illus
| trating the methods of the Sational
Cash Register company, including the
best way to approach a prospect. OF
10 close a sale. We are acquainuns
them with the company's policy.
II believe the women who are here
are actually getting more@ out OF the
convention than men usually do. And
with this knowledge, plus woman
i instinct for knowing how to uss
4 knowledge. the y. C. r. sales force
Is hound to become more velua BILE II
the company and to each individual
What the wives. are learning about
} this business and its possibilities II
going to make them more interested
) in how their husbands earn the family
income This, undoubtedly, will ht
I reflected in better salesmanshfp, be
cause the sa lesman will have tbs
benefit of his wifes advice and opin'
ions
"Oftener than we think, the success
or future of man in business Is due
to the wife's inf!uence--positive OF
! negative. II more women understood
something about the business ir
which their husbands work more mer
I'm business would be successful. We
are simply applying this idea to tht
J case of the National Cash Register
company and its sales force"
Women Act A business Play.