TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9714, 9 February 1910, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

HUMANITY Ijn WALL STREET. Wall Street, the centre of the American financial world, has a sinister reputation for graed and ruthlessness, but its magnates show a very kindly spirit towards the men who serve them well. The outside world, says a writer in the New York "Post," regards Wall Street "as a huge Monte Carlo—with a North Pole atmosphere," but there is really plenty of warmth in the locality. A good year puts hundreds of thousands of dollars intu the pockets of men that workj there. Some firms give Christmas bonuses equal to a full year's salary; many more give cheques equal to six months' salary, with additional allowances in special cases: hundreds make special distributions equal to onetenth of the annu.l earnings. One firm distributes a number of carefully graduated presents, ranging from 250 dollars tor head clerks, to boxes of cigars for clerks in branches. Tie rule of Wall Street is work hard a id you will be well rewarded. The P"ofits are so great in prosperous ti j u and the services of a conscientious and able man so valuable, that principals are willing to pay large salaries and bonuses to retain good men. xne conndential clerk of a prominent international banker, finding that the work was telling on his health, asked to be relieved of his duties. His salary (8,000 dollars) was. doubled on the spot, on condition he stayed, and he was told he could have such assistance as",would enable him to do his work without suffering in health. The extra 8,000 dollars waa nothing to the banker compared to the inconven-

ience of initiating a new man into the work. A certain bank has a special fund for helping employees out of difficulties. A clerk who was known to be embarrassed financially because of illness in his family, was called into the president's room one day and asked to state exactly his financial position. When his story had been told, he was handed 1,000 dollars as a gift to put him on "Easy street" once more. This case is said to be one of a thousand that occur every year in the Wall Street district.