Evening star., 1924-04-06
WHAT is SUCCESS?
V.-Judging the Business Weather

Too Many Engineerss
There are many parents who are
sending their sons to engineering col
Ieses to be trained as electrical engi-
neers, mechanical engineers, civil en-
gineers, mining engineers, etc. Engi-
neering is an occupation that fuctu-
ates widely. There will be a period
when engineers are in great demand.
There will come a period when there
is practically no call for engineers
and many of them can hardly find
work at all. The reason is that during
a period OF prosperity, when there is
great industrial expansion, engineers
are needed to build factories, design
equipment and carry on all sorts of
technical work. But when depression
comes expansion turns into retrench-
ment. instead of hiring more engi-
neers, corporations are inclined to
discharge those already in their en-
ploy. 1t is therefore extremely impor-
tant for the engineer who desires to
succeed to study this fundamental
law of success, SO that he may foresee
that period of retrenchment must
follow a period of abnormal expan
sion and guide himself accordingly.
Talk this over with your son who is
studying engineering. Impress upon
him the tremendous practical impor-
tance of understanding this law and
Shaping MS career TO conform with
these irresistible swings.
Time to Buy Real Estate.
There are few families who do not
at some time need to buy or sell real
estate. OF course real estate values
are likely to be more steady than the
prices of cotton, wheat, corn and
other commodities. Nevertheless, real
estate ell
down over a considerable range. 1t
is very foolish to buy property when
values are abnormally high. Unless
the need is most urgent, one can well
afford to wait until the prices of land
and houses have declined to a mini
Near the top of business boom
everybody feels prosperous and ex-
pansive. You then think how nice it
would be to build or buy a better
well afford it, because your income
has increased and the future looks
bright But then is exactly the wrong
time to build or buy. Wait until the
depression. Wait until most people
are gloomy and discouraged and think
the country is going to the dogs,
when there are always good prop
critics on the market at abnormally
low prices and real bargains in land
and houses. Moreover, at such times
building materials are cheaper, labor
is cheaper and conditions are ideal
for putting up an excellent house at
minimum expense.
When to Change Jobs.
There is another problem which
many families are called upon to
face-the problem of changing ones
occupation. A farmer, for example,
will sometimes desire to quit farm
ing and try storekeeping. A man en-
gagged with one concern will decide
that some other concern offers better
opportunities. Such changes should
never be made carelessly, but only
after most serious study of condi-
tions. Remember that the important
thing to find out is not the present
situation, but the future outlook. 1t
is the future THAI will make or break
you-not the present nor the past.
A man was offered a good job as
sales manager of a concern which
was doing a big business. He looked
only at the present volume of sales,
upon which he was offered hand
some commission. He took the job,
and for few months everything
went we'll Then came the turn and
all business began to go downhill-
OF course, the man was blamed for
the shrinking volume of sales, though
this was no fault of his, but due
solely to the general economic de-
preston. Moreover, his commissions
fell off until he was scarcely making
a living.
Countless examples of this kind
could be cited. Here is fundamental
lie for success: Never take up
new occupation until you are sure
that the country is at the beginning
of a period of prosperity. This will
assure you of several years of in
creasing activity. During this upward
movement you have the opportunity
of rendering real service, and only by
rendering service can one truly sue
ceed-
Princes and Paupers.
Tt is simply astounding to see how
widespread and far-reaching this re-
morseless law fE, for it even controls
the rate of marriages. During good
times marriages increase; during hard
times they decrease. The law oper-
ates upon advertising men. 1t trans
forms them from princes to paupers
and back again. The reason is that
during boom the volume of adver-
tising is vastly increased, and conse-
quently advertising men wax fat and
prosperous, while during a business
slump the reverse conditions obtain.
This Is also true of insurance men,
what more steady. You would think
that doctors would be an exception to
this law. Far from it! To be sure, the
doctor keeps busy in hard times OF in
good-but what about his collections?
A we'll known physician said to me:
During period of business de-
preston 1 send in my bill, and either
it is not paid at all or else squeezed
out most painfully in dimes and PEN
, MES. But during a boom payments
come easily. and / am asked to make
change for large bills"
woman's Opportunity.
So much has been said about men
and success that some readers may
have the impression that this law
, does not directly affect women. Moth
ing could be further from the truth.
Scores of homes are filled with furni-
ture bought at absurdly high prices,
when by merely waiting for more IA
vorable conditions precisely the same
furniture would have been bought for
fully a quarter less Some women, at
the beginning Of an upward swing OF
commodity prices, will buy their
household supplies from hand to
mouth" when they should have
the price advance. other women dur
ing a period of declining commodity
prices, when they should have bought
from hand to mouth, will stock up
heavily. and thus fail to benefit by
the decline. Moreover, where is there
any woman whose life is not inf1u
enced by the fortunes of her men
folks? Every business failure, every
business success, strikes back at once
to the home and throws its light or
shadow on the women and children.
So omnipotent is this fundamental
law that 1t affects every person, and
is one Of the greatest factors in de-
termining the success and happiness
Of all.