THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS

Otaki Mail, 26 February 1919, Page 3

THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS

-. $ ----- LECTURE AT OTAKI BY MR EDWARD MOULTON. An interesting and practical lecture

to-the business men. of Otaki was given on Tuesday night by Mr Edward Moulton, Director of Education of the Sheldon Institute of Business Science. There was a very representative gathering of local business people present, and Mr Byron Brown, chairman of the Town Board, occupied the chair. Mr Brown, in introducing Mr Moulton, said that gentleman was present to tell * the meeting of the methods of business science and enlist services in a business cause. He maintained that the . finest . business science s-im<- from . America, who had always made for efficiency. Education, he considered, ' was necessary in every walk of life, ! especially at the present time, as a man had to be thoroughly educated to keep abreast of the times. Now that ' the war was over there would be a commercial war, for which all mast lit themselves for success, and it remained for all to make the best strides possible.

Mr Moulton, who was wsll received, prefaced his remarks by stating that sixteen years ago he visited Otaki, had seen the beach, discussed the land and other questions with local farmers, Had inspected various business concerns,; and had left the town confident that within a few years Otaki would be the i centre of a nourishing and progressivecommunity. After a lapse of 16 years,-, during which time he had been gaining i experience and building up business knowledge in connection with some,of ! the world's foremost commercial firms, he had returned to New Zealand, liis ("noughts had turned to Otaki, and at. the earliest possible opportunity he made it his business to look at the district. He was disappointed with what he saw; There were evidences of prosperity in many excellent homesteads and farming properties. The butter factories and creameries suggested a large annual monetary turnover; but the population had not increased to any I marked extent, business places were not noticeably enlarged, and there was nothing in the town to suggest thatthe residents were evincing pride in their community, or doing anything to make it the attractive centre of population it was intended by nature to be. In making these statements the lecturer wanted his audience to receive them as the candid criticisms of a friend and well-wisher who would .if possible do much to bring Otaki to its own. Entering upon the subject of the evening's lecture, Mr Moulton drew attention to the fact that Otaki was advantaged in having - several institutions which must constantly keep the town before the public eye. He referred to the Maori College, the Sanatorium, the Hospital, "a climate equal to anything in New Zealand, and as good a beach as any holiday-maker

could wish to see." If the public were not appreciating the national attractiveness of the district something was wrong. A population extended mainly as a result of the influx of outsiders. The casual caller would never become a resident or a frequent visitor unless the community in some way or other appealed to him. If it did appeal he could not help but advertise the fact and thus arouse the interest of others as weil as himself, Naturally people preferred to live in a congenial community where conveni-

ences and accommodation were good. One of the biggest factors tending to the comfort of the people was attractive, well served, up-to-date business institutions. People preferred to live where there wore good shops. Your local retail store is a mutual institution. The merchant, employs his capital to bring goods from the centres of trade for the accommodation of the people of the local community. Local people are employed to sell and deliver tho goods, thus furnishing employment to home people. The people living in the neighbourhood arc benefited by

having a convenient, attractive store where they niay go and see goods, making a selection that pleases them. For this accommodation and this advantage they must be willing to contribute, a profit on each purchase to compensate the merchant for the employment of his capital and his time. The store really belongs to the community, and evorymember of the community should be in-, forested In its success, ...

A community is a sort: »* ~ ~ a large snni- - ; a family 011 ...-,. For example, here is a lamily, the father being a farmer. He has two sons, one a blacksmith, the other a carpenter. When the farmer has blacksmithiiig and carpenter work to be done, were he to go outside of the family and employ other men in whoni he has no interest to do his work for him, you would say he was unwise, that the money he paid for his work should have been kept in the family.

The community, as stated above, is a family on a larger scale, and so far as possible the money belonging to a community should be kept iu that comr.inirity; which means that co'mmunity stores should receive the support of the local people. It is an injury to the entire community to send money off to a'distant city that really belongs to your own because every shilling sent away decreases by that amount the money in the community. Most of it never comes back. This may be critised as a narrow view. Whether it is a narrow view or not, it is good sense, and that the merchant maintaining a community store, if he treats the people fairly, is entitled to the co-operation and support of all of the people in the community. _ Ho (Mr Moulton) hoped that the residents of Otaki would "realise their responsibility of supporting local concerns, and thus help in their development.- that the town might appear more wide-awake and attractive to the possible newcomer -who may pass this wav.

It was just possible that the "standstill *' evidences noticeable in the.community were due to the lack of pu=h aad Trisc handling of the public's iieed

on the- part of the business-firms; and therefore he would urge all to study the big question of business efficiency, to understand how they may "speed-up," to attract and make extensive custom in tho future. Continuing, the lecturer discussed the meaning of the word

L Business. Some people, he said, still • thought... that "business is business, and the devil must take the hindmost."<. That must not be their conception as men working towards success in business life and in the community in which they live. It would be well to take the "i" out of the word and sub- • stitute a "y" in its place. That would " ; help them to understand that business is "busy-ness"—that which busies ono i ! in his regular avocation or occupation; I j that it is useful effort, the effort of . every man who has a true title to existence. ' Referring to the word Science. Mr • ' Moulton emphasised that science was ■ not something to which the high- ' browed college graduate had a right of i monopoly. Science was really organised facts, or, as a practical business man had put it, "classified commonsense." And tho science of business was to be understood as the classified j common sense about busy-ness. I Very interestingly the lecturer told how the formulatdr of business science. Arthur Frederick Sheldon, gave his

I work to the world, and how. over 3000 of tho keenest and most successful firms and over 100.00 H students had already joined forces in lifting business out of the mess and confusion of unmethodical conduct, to a si*nee which I was sure of cause and effect' in everything. By means of blackboard cartoons the subject of ability-development and 'character analysis was illustrated: and it was also demonstrated that a man's, or firm's, success qualities could be enlarged and equipped for meeting and mastering present day competition obtained. The lecturer concluded his remarks with personal references to many leading New Zealand business men and firms (several of whom were personally known to members of the audience), who were attributing much of their prosperity in business life to the advantages received through the study of the Sheldon course of business ,

science. The chairman, Mr Byron Brown, expressed his appreciation of the very able and practicable address, which he considered would be profitably remembered by him and all present. He moved a hearty vote of thanks. Mr Dcbreceii3 r seconded the motion, which was heartily supported. xVfter the meeting had concluded Mr Moulton answered questions and tendered advice to several interested persons 'who had attended the lecture.