The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-08-16


It is the onrush of our business life.
/ Our economic progress plunges ahead
at rate unheard of in the history Of
the nations of the world and every
industrial and financial leader is daily
brought face to face with new and
perplexing problems requiring the
highest courage and intelligence for
their solution.
Ninety billions year, they tell us,
this country is now producing in new
wealth. The rate of increase Is even
more staggering than the amount. It
is difficult to say where it may lead
US in even ten or fifteen years.
We are moving exceptionally fast.
Our economic and industrial structure
Is placing before us problems Of
greater and greater magnitude. Few
men can see far ahead. Few are in
complete control, for this is a chang
ing world, as even the most inexperi-
enced business man will readily tes-
tify. Our methods of adjusting our
selves rapidly to economic changes
and of cooperating are far from per-,
feet.
What an opportunity the leadership
Of five, ten or fifteen years from now
presents! What an adventure it will
be! What responsibilities it will lay
upon the broadcast shoulders that may
be found! This is the challenge to
leadership as I see It. In the hands Of
the young men must rest the respon-
sibility for this leadership.
Boys Who Reached the PinnacIes
Business is full of the romance Of
youngsters whose chief characteristic
was working hard and keeping at 1t.
There was epufarmer boy who de-
cided he would stand behial1l
a counter than plo2
seemed so ohyl 1ly lacAlilg II saIes
ability that for time no merchant
would hire him. He failed in his first
position, and in his second his salary
was reduced. He even agreed that he
was misfit-but he stuck. Out Of
his first five stores, believe, three
failed. But he persisted and worked
hard. And that boy, Frank w. Wool.
worth, became the greatest retail
merchant in the world with store
in every city of eight thousand or more
population in this country.
There was another lad who clerked
in grocery store sixteen hours day
and studied mathematics in his odd
moments. He became interested in
the doings of the steel plant whose en-
ployees traded at this store. He be.
gan to study steel and sought posi-
ton in the plant. He carried a sur
veyor's chain and drove stakes. At
night he studied mathematics and en-
cheering. He did not despair. He
could not be diverted. He kept the
boy, Charles Schwab, mastered the
iron industry and became one Of the
country's great industrial leaders.
There was a lad who sold papers on
o train. When he grew up, several
million men and score of billions of
dollars of capital were given profitable
employment through his inventions.
Even in middle life, Thomas Edison
continued to work twenty hours day,
If necessary to achieve his purpose.
Leadership is not play. Leadership
offers countless positions of varying
opportunity, of which the highest PIN
nacles will mean almost unbearable
responsibility in the new era. There
will be men with the fire and iron to
qualify even for these places. Such
men must have had the very finest
preparation and the most grueling
tests. Their reward will be the attain
ment of these highest pinnacles Of