The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-12-01

well. Matt" said cappy Rielts 20
hts soninlaw. Matt penSley. while
you were In London on that nd.
miralty lawsuit / butted in on the
affairs OF tho Blue star Naylga.
ton company"
ut would add great deal TO my
happiness, cappy," Captain Matt rc
piled pocviahly, III you would kindly
remember that am the president
and general manager OF that cooi.
pany. 1 heard YOU had buttcd in
and taxzcd up the works something
scandalous."
You bet jaxxed II up" cnppy
jeercd. Your assistant and chat
gang OF high.priced freight solicitors
hos supposed TO manage under Its
tito OF General Freight Agent. ccr
tainly had n visitation from little
old Alden 7. RiclSs. made 'em get
out and dix FOR n fifty per cent In.
crease In business on u five per
cent Increase IN tho overhead. Tho
Yokohama earthquake business has
shot irans,paclfie lumber srcIghta
TO fifteen dollars u thousand feet,
with business for that end OF our
company booked for one year ahead.
SINNERS department has sold ali
the export lumber IL dare solI for
o year. so 1 have tho gang out
hus,ling freight on tho West Coast
and. In fact. oil OF South America.
And believe me. Matt. they're deliv.
cring the goods. I've got those ba.
oles up ON their toes reaching for
business.
You worc letting them take II
too easy. and Ms "A result our com.
pctitors were getting too much buai.
moss. There's only ono way 10 in,
crease ones volume OF business and
that Is 10 take business away from
ones competitors. That means q
fight. so Two tied a can 10 the tails
OF several OF your most promising
non.fightcra and set them adrift In
the world I've raised nalarsca and
given notice tha, there's an imag-
mary dead.llno and that the first
man who steps across II gets am.
putated from the bankroll. have
my secretary keeping tab ON your
freight hustlers. Matt syo have a
chart "a page for every man. every
day for every month Ia the year.
and we srado him by tho amount
OF tonnage ho lands for Blue star
ships. Tho boys whose curve Is
upward task In the light OF my
smile. Thosc whose curve II down.
ward viii presently be no longer
with US. The downhill boys have
sixty days In which 10 start up
grads and that's my dead.ilnc"
This action OF yours" said Matt
Eioomily. ''seems 10 DO n reflection
on my management"
Not at ALL" cappy pIpcd. Every
business equalization In tho world
develops dry rot In prosperous
times You. ]. Skinner. all OF us
develop dry rot when business Is 10
easy TO get we do not have 20 worry
about getting t. We've had four
years Of good business and now.
when competition Ia kecner and
business not 40 good. we find these
boys OF yours as stale an over
trained athletes. They've forgotten
their old speed-and. they're few
years older Nothing will put speed
into mlddlc-agr man iaHter than
the knowledge that no In no longer
n boy. that no has been slipping.
and that the boss knows II. tell
you. Matt. tho Psychology OF bust.
ness Is all wrong. When business
ia good wo put on a night shift.
whereas tho time 10 put on a night
shift is ~hen business Is bad. Ever
consider that point OF view7"
"No. did not" said Matt. snll.
ing now.
cappy nodded liko little old
squlnch owl. You've been 20 close
to Il you've lost your perspective on
lt-unablo 10 see the woods for the
trees. But here ! sit on tho side
lines. retired. contcmplativc. obsorv.
ing. experienced. no reflection on
your management because you
failed to note tho slow and easy
mental state your crew has gotten
into.
IT would have been n reflection
on mc. however. II / had permitted
It 10 continue"
cappy drew from his desk a box
Of his famous dollar cigars and
handed one 20 his n6n.ln.lnw.
Speaking OF hustiers for business. 4"
he resumed presently. thru n frag.
rant cloud OF tobacco smoke. re
minds me OF my friend. Ed swasey.
Ed came to work for us. as a young
man just out OF high school. and
I thought he ought 10 have a few
years under Skinner TO mellow him.
Eventually. however. fired I'd. He
wns too ALFRED smart 70 work un.
der Skinner. / couldn't fire Skin.
ner and give Ed his job. so l had
TO fire Ed and set him up IN bust
ness. When I'd and / parted. with
mutual respect and esteem. / gave
him n years SALARY which no had
earned. only Skinner wouldn't give
Il 10 him. whercupon Ed quit the
lumber business and opened up an
advertising agency. What he didn't
know about advertising would IN
a book. but what he did know was
all brand.new and startling, and ia
had n great yearning to try out his
theories.
Ed had made up his mind 20 be
q specialist. His speciality was some
thing new in those days, to.wit,
street car advertising combined with
beautiful oil paintings on fancy. spe-
cially constructed and lighted bill.
boards. That sort OF advertising Is
Old stuff with us now. but Ed orig.
mated " in this city. and OF course
Il took him quite a while 10 put
over his idea. Consequently. Just
about the time victory was within
reach, Ed went broke. SO he came
around and told me his tale OF WOO
and wanted me TO capitalize him
81. co,,,topaprn n drearnv exnrrssion