Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1921-06-08
INDIVIDUALITY AND
LOAFING ON THE JOB
these Attributes Despised by
Those Who Love Fair
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This title has no reference TO
standard time or daylight saving, but
just to filling the terms of the original
contract made with the other party.
You have a right to be late to a
train and to miss it and thereby in
convenience nobody but yourself-the
train will not mind your being late;
but you hardly have a right to make
an appointment with another person
to be at given place at given time
and to fail to be prompt. You steal
his time and thereby wrong him.
This preamble is suggested by the
aspect of man whom we saw the
other day at street corner. He was
wearing out shoe-leather in pacing
back and forth under the elms, NUT
tering anathema.
Said he, ~ have tried all my life to
be prompt to appointments. have
wasted considerable portion of my
life in waiting for persons who have
made the appointments. Here is
case. l was urged to be here prompt
ly at LIS p. m. / WIS here at ITO in
order to be sure. 1t is now Las. The
person is not here"
The person who had made this ap-
pointment, appeared in view. He was
running and looking at his watch.
He had no excuse. If any was men,
toned it was futile. The appoint
ment had been his own, the hardness
was equally his own. He was thief
of the time of the other man.
am going to talk in platitude; but
some of these old truths require oc-
casional reiteration. Two things get
the goat" so to speak, of any person
who has any regard for fair play. One
is unpunctuality and the other is
loafing on the ob--time-killing,
watching the clock and eternal CAB
bling with fellow-workmen, interfer-
ing with their time and opportunity.
And nine times out of ten this class of
persons is the most persistent for So
called rights and most pretentious
when it comes to talking about pre-
ferment.
Charles M. Schwab, who was a
workman, and who rose from the
ranks, as have so many persons who
; now manage business, said in an ad-
dress before the st. George Evening
: Trade School, "Dr. Rainsford has
spoken of the experience of boy who
quit work because his salary was not
| increased soon enough. I know the
man for whom this boy worked and
: only yesterday l was sitting in his
} office with him, when newsboy came
: in and handed him paper for which
he paid the boy. When the boy had
gone the banker said, Every day for
: more than year that boy has come
. into this Office punctually and deliver.
ed the paper; he has never varied a
minute. l have never given hin
more than the price of the paper.
have studied that boy and l have de.
: termined to give him a position ir
this clearinghouse. l predict that hi
will rise to the head of a great bank
ing-house.'
Mr.. Schwab further said that HI
had watched that boy and felt sure
that he was rapidly on his way to thu
leadership.
l could find you stories withou
number of successes in life due tt
punctual and faithful work. In tn,
. eighties boy was carrying water t.
the workers in the Carnegie Stee
Works. He was noted for his punctu
j, atty. He was always on the dot
When they wanted an office-boy, hi
fame was such that he got it. H,
made the same record there. He wa
J, so attentive, punctual, faithful, work
ed so true to the faith, that he wa
, appointed an assistant to the super
intendent, and in 1908, was the presi
, dent of the Carnegie Steel Co. This il
no fairy story. It has been done, owe
and over again.
If one should ask you the mos
notable characteristic of three grea
men, Washington, Wellington, Ma
. poleon, it would be proper to mention
2 punctuality. They never forgave tn
y person who was late to appointment
: Punctuality is, of course, but mega
f tive virtue and anyone may cultivat
e it and follow it. The real test of
s desire to succeed is in giving full
f measure of work in whatever tasI
/, committed. Any decent employee
o stands ready to recognize ability an