The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-12-29
Efficiency
By VICTOR REDCLIFFE
Copyright. 1919 by the Western News
paper Union.)

/ mail order business of magnitude
and profit. The quarters were roomy
and comfortable, the seven girl ste
| nogranhers pretty, cheerful and eff
1 cient and the Young men, from Tie book
keeper down TO the bill CLERK, model
! employees.
They are like some happy family"
his or her best. | don't have to watch
them and the business runs on
creased rollers"
Then came a ch;figc. Perry decided
TO enlarge his trade. This took money,
and retired merchant agreed TO
supply the capital.
Il don't want to be active in the
| business primarily" announced Mr..
Gideon Wells, but l have been a
| successful man and | know the meth
DDS. AT the end of each month you
will supply me With Il full audit"
"Oh, surely that" acquiesced Perry
readily.
''And you must have an efficiency
Itldlt put tIinSS oil IL IuouSih WI AIS
basis" but at this Perry hesitated,
asking what this to him unfamiliar
! feature might signify.
spell of gloom, of dissatisfaction
was cast over the little Office group
the day thar Mr.. Paul Smith strobe
into view. Efficiency in saving showed
| on his hatchct-like, severe face. His
hawklikc eye pierced. the personality
| of every employee as though he was
| arranging them in some court as Grim
| inalS. He set to calculating the sell
| ing price of waste paper in the high
| est market and ordered the Office boy
not to allow scrap 20 escape his
eagle eye. He examined all the type
tcring around he came into Perry's
office and closed the door.
"Wcll, I've done some things by
way of a start" he placidly announced.
Charge to waste salvage two dollars
and ten cents. and the ribbons an
economy Of thirty per cent"
YES" nodded Perry, "but you have
scared away the best Office boy we
ever had. and worn ribbons work ont
some pretty weak looking copy"
efficiency my dear sir, efficiency.
Now thcn wish TO attack your bust
ness system AT its very root. There is
altogether too much hail-fclloW we'll
met among your employees
HAEbN. Nrbot la ,-nu tnaon - donna H.
ded Perry. rousins up.
Just this: at the lunch hour you'd
think your back Office was Il regular
banquet hall. The employees pool their
dinner money and make a regular
party of it,"
They're orderly if happy, aren't
they?" challenged Perry. There are
four engaged couples among the
group. They do their work efficiently,
are contented and cheerful ana their
own little joys and lunch hour relaXa-
ton harm nobody"
THAT may be. but | was engaged
to put in a system. and Mr.. Wells ap-
proves my plan. | would suggest that
the yonng ladies all wear uniform
black dresses, and one by one would
dismiss them and replace them with
men typists."
Perry resisted, but Mr. Wells backed
up his expert The proposed revou
ton became known to the Office force.
one afternoon their duly appointed
chairman came to Perry.
eve all feel sorry, sir" spoke the
individual, but we know too well
how the tactics of this efficiency
phenomenon Of yours will end, an1
we have decided to resign our po-
sitions in body"
And all save one forthwith marched
out of the office. The one was Nellie
Weaver She was the head stenog-
rapher, with an aged mother depend
ent upon her earnings, and was the
oldest and most reliable employee in the
place. At her Perry glanced desoiate-
ly and desperately, and gratefully, too,
that she had not left him entirely in
the lurch. Her eyes were troubled,
but full of sympathy, too. They had
never looked so witching to the per-
picked Perry.
Miss Weaver" he said what am
going to dO?"
Can l speak freely" inquired Mel
lie, and as he nodded a willing assent
she continued: 'If We're you l would
insist on this trouble maker leaving
at once. Mr. Perry. half Of the force
are lovers and engaged and it is lovcI
that makes the world go round and isl
responsible for the harmony that has
always pewaded this Office. You can
not replace the trained people who
have just resigned. Please let them
all come back--all of them. even TO the
Office boy"
I'm going to see Wells at once, and
he'll agree to your suggestion or II
will cancel our partnership"
Alvin Perry was gone an hour, when
he returned he was excited. almost
iuhilant. mo more efficiency ex-
perts," he announced with zost. II
depend on you to see tie others and |
arrange for matters as they were. You
are a wise, precious little adviser,
Nellie. and rye been thinking about
what you said of love making the
world go round. I want ii TO. | want |
Io1, = Il