Frank Reflections

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 6

Frank Reflections

'—r ♦ LJUMAN duplicity affects us in vary- ** Ing ways; as the recording sheet of time becomes more and more attenuated with the years, we find ourselves drifting from amazement to amusement, from sincerity to cynicism, as, with musicianly understanding, we translate the impressions which fellow humans have scratched upon the roll 'of their corporate existence. Some — skilful politicians, rostrum orators; many, far top many, commercial and professional men — look upon life as a pleasant vista of easy money and mellifluous speeches, the latter principally tagged to conferences where a good deal of short breath is nxpended upon such vocal captions as "The science of service,' 1 etcet9ra. If only some of these men would, instead, raise the salaries of their unfortunate clerks . . . Let us now draw ourselves a picture of average clerkly existence, and, having viewed it, consider whether or not a good many employers of labor should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and studied duplicity. Usually, ; a clerk starts as office boy, at the wag's of. say. 15/,- a week: At the end of three .years in a big organization, he may be given charge of the petty cash. He is then 20 years' of age and may be in receipt of £1 or 25/- a week. '. If he is away front home, he will probably have to pay £1 for his board, and then, in some manner of means known only to himself, he must see that his linen is always clean and that his general appearance is in keeping with the requirements of clerkly respectability. • From the remainder; he is called upon to make provision for the rainy day. and to allow a small sum for personal entertainment. . Five years later, he achieves the milestone of a ledger-keepers desk, for which, If he be lucky, he may receive £2/10/- pr £8 a. week. He marries and his wife continues to work as a stenographer until their marital responsibilities are Increased. Meanwhile, the rate^of living demanded by custom is so. high that ' these two .cannot maintain the pace, They either drop out of social life or the husband secures spare-time work so. that the extra money will permit their retaining an air of social niceness.. ' ;. ; . ' ' Failing that? He steals, and they are very happy, until— the auditors find him out, and then employers shake their heads and express mechanical "sorrow" for the clerk'3 family. If only they would search their own souls for the true, reason, instead of disseminating an enforced atmosphere of commercial Joviality and selfesteem while in the presence of other employers, there would be' less peculation and fewer examples of unfortunate humanity. For some obscure reason it appears infra dig. clerks to take steps In the "-direction of. securing an equitable 'award rate In return for their services, though why this should be so ia difficult to imagine. Employers who expect— nay, demand —impeccable honesty, should pay their office men salaries which encourage honesty. They would be saved the ignominy of finding the excuse that clerks are living beyond their means.