"CALLISTHENES" HOLDS FORTH ON BUSINESS HELP

The following is the first of a series of seven articles on "Public School Boys in Business", written by "Callisthenes" of Selfridge and company, for the London Times. Although the point of view is British, it is similar to that held by executives of many American commercial and industrial enterprises. The articles are printed through the courtesy of Russell Sharpe '28, Acting Secretary for Student Employment, and A. L. Putnam '20, Consultant on Careers.

This store has always welcomed the arrival of public school boys. We believe that we have done more than any other store to start public school boys on a business career and to arouse the interest of the public schools and of the universities in commerce as a profession.

We believe it is for the good of the nation that more public school boys should come into business. Many of them are the sons of men who by exceptional character, intellect, or will, have made their way from poverty to riches, from obscurity to high honor Whatever force there is in heredity would lead us to regret that so large a proportion of these sons should be lost to commerce.

But at present there is a confusion in the relations between the two. The public schools talk about wishing to send their boys into business: business men talk about wishing to get public school boys on their staff. Yet the numbers increase slowly for the two do not understand each other.

Part of the confusion is due to lack of frankness. The public schools do not say what they really think of business: business leaders and it necessary to talk of the public schools in the phrases of traditional but often exaggerated respect. In the interests of a better understanding we shall state in this and other articles some of the hindrances we have found to the enlistment of a larger number of public school boys.

We have found that a great many public school boys believe that as such they are entitled to a good position and a good salary. This is a fallacy.

In these days when there is so much talk about a man's right as such to "full maintenance" it is not surprising if the public school boy is confirmed in the belief that as such he is entitled to something more than full maintenance. But neither of these claims is recognized in business. One is a Political theory: the other is a relic of "class" mentality. Business pays a man for what he does, not for what he is.

The claim of the public schools is that they train character. But character is an activity, not a state it is how a man acts, not how he is taught to act. Business is even more trench practical. If pays a man not for having capabilities but for exercising them. Until he exercises his ability he does not earn an income and can only be paid one out of kindness.

If some of the public school boys when we have met had understood more thoroughly that in business they are paid for what they do not for what they are we could more easily have fitted them into em origination