LONDON'S NEW OFFICE BOY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 150, 14 March 1918, Page 3

LONDON'S NEW OFFICE BOY

& . ADDING SIXPENCE TO SQUARE ACCOUNTS. Tho manager of a well-known London linn recently wrote "to the "Daily Mail" suggesting a confcrßiico of the heads of big business housos to discuss the "means of promoting efficiency among the untrained employees who now predominate in roost, commercial establishments." "At my'business place half a dozen life-long employees work twelve hours a day— the last three hours in the evening being spent in rectifying the mistakes made earlier in the diy by subordinates. , "Here'is an. instance. The discovery of an incorrect entry led us to investigate tho books, and w. found that a bright lad of nearly J8 had added fid. to an entry in order to make his accounts balance without further bother. I asked him why ho had dons it. 'Well,' he said, 'my total had to agree with Miss Brown's,, and as we. couldn't both be right I gave way.' " A business.man consulted yesterday said: "Tho trouble is not exactly slackness, but a new kind of irresponsibility —a prevalence of the idea that small things' do not matter." ; Shop managers have the =ame tale to tell. "I am always coming to the rescue of assistants who cannot , find something which, has not. been put back in its place," said one. "If it is only the matter of tho string for tying up parcels, I frequently find several assistants 'discussing—with tho shopfull of customers—where it. has been put. 'Have you got it, Jlr. Jones? 'No, Mr. Robinson had it last.' Air. Robinson says he put it in its proper place in the drawer, but thinks .Miss.Smith had it after 'bat. Ultimately it is found under a box on the .ounter. What is needed is the spreading of. the gospel of doiug things systematically."