South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-21
Angling With An Adv.
For a Mammoth Fish
BY n. T. BABCoCK

wanted-A man who has ar
rived''-ripe in experience but
not grown Old (about 35 or 400
of demonstrated capacity in
at least one high executive Of
fee. A man who is not earning
less than $4,000 a year at pres
ent and who has an equipment
! which would justify a starting
I salary OF at least $4,000.
The above advertisement is clip
ped from a daily newspaper. 1t GER
tainly invites comment Whether il
bore satisfactory fruit, 1 am unable
TO say, but to hundreds OF thousands
of my fellow men it can hardly fail
to have the sound of a rather heart
less joke. A starting salary" of at
least $4,000, when they would,
many Of them, gladly start at $40
week
But upon investigation - made
solely, hasten TO assure my read
ers in the interest of news, II
discover that this advertisement was
no joke, but expressed a bona fide
want of a large and legitimate
business corporation.
To quote the language OF the chief
official of that corporation, ii sprang
from a desire TO obtain a man who
would be able Ito get things done
and done smoothly, even in a time
of pressure and congestion! who
would attract the willing respect and
hearty cooperation OF the many ex-
ecutives under him, and be a sincere
and constant antidote TO friction; a
man Of largeness of grasp and OF Vi
sion, and OF tireless energy and un-
shakable self-control.'
Time was, and not so very long
ago.. when a corporation having a
vacant $4,000 a year position, would
. nil it with some deserving member
of the household OF one Of it's di-
rectors, or chief officials. II would
never have been allowed to get out
OF the family" 1t wasn't customary
% advertise for anything above the
post of janitor or scrub-woman. The
idea of inviting proven-merit to take
the place of mere favoritism, would
have seemed grotesque.
Can it be that the war is respon-
/
that the right man" for a job is
not necessarily the one who wants
it most, but the one you must do
your utmost to search out and Sc
cure?: that the price or cost, is
merely an Incidental? The employ
ment by the government OF such a
man as Charles NJ. Schwab at 81 a
year. Observation-Disclosures from an
angle exactly opposite to the case we
have been considering-hOw subor-
dinate a detail is wage, in compari-
son with the procurement of eff
ficiency.
All this leads naturally to the
thought; why should not the heads
of governmental departments, both
state and national. be obtained
through advertising, rather than
according to the old fashioned no.
tion-chosen because of their mem
bership in some political family?'
Want ad columns of the press are
as available to a mayor, a governor.
or even a president, as TO any other
employer of labor: it is quite posi-
BILE that either one of these gentle
men would be- able to secure a dis
count from the regular rates.
1t is not to be presumed that sup
posed possession of influence"
would lead any man to answer the
above 5000 male-help wanted ad.
He would have perceived in advance
that this would be mere waste OF
time and stationary. The wore
demonstrated capacity would
headed him on.
Why then need we suppose IL a
state advertised for a man compe-
tent to conduct all matters relating
TO waterways, OF railways, or gas
and electricity. or bridges, or chart
table and penal institutions, or en-
gineering. or conservation along any
particular line, there would be an
swers from any persons save those
competent TO fill the jobs? And IL
there should be. wouldn't it be an
easy matter to throw such answers
into the waste basket?
Demonstrated capacity" has but
one meaning II, with every new in
coming administration there was the
guarantee that no department would
or could be placed in charge OF a
man WHO IdQ ilOL bDONs
would it not be a rather consoling
thought to taxpayers? And what
more efficient way could there be #
raking the haystock for the needle.
than open. public advertising.
IL a large business corporation de-
cided that through the advertising
columns Of newspaper a man earn
ing mot less than $4,000 a year"
could be attracted to its service. why
should il be doubted that open ad-
vertising would be worth trying in
the matter OF filing important pub
lie offices with competent men?
Could there be a finer tribute to the
power and efficiency Of the Fourth
Estate?
TT instead of being put to the en-
y barrassment Of holding innumerable
private conferences, a governor
\ might insert in the help wanted
\ columns of a newspaper something
\ like the following:
"wanted-A public servieA
Il cov, missioner of dem on Stratpd