liudx of the luiiibenuen that the writer will try to set 'forth a few 

 lain examples of the inefficiency of the lumber office in general, 

 'lie examples sighted are taken from actual business correspondence 

 nd are not made to fit the occasion. 



Here is an inquiry received from a cdiisuiiicr. It \v;is ;i iln|ilic;iti>il 

 ft'air and read as follows: 



l.ssrs. — & Co., 



.Now York City. 



We arc in the market for a car of 1" l)h<li. 



Quote .vour price and tell us how soon ynu ccmiIiI siiip if ordcied. .Uso 

 III- wUltlis and lengths. Yours trul.v, 



Tlie lumberman who 



'il as 



.Messrs. 



(Jontlcmen : Itctcrrinj; to jour Iniiuiiy ul' the 

 like to know what grade is re<iuired on the bin 1). 



On receipt of this information, we will be Khid 



A few days later 

 Messrs. & 



New York City. 



Gentlemen : Wc thank yi 

 We can furnish you with 

 .'i;44 per M. delivered youi 



They lost the order. Some one else tohl all there was to tell about 

 their particular stock and because of this fact, received the order. 

 Hut that is only half the story. Just look at the ineifieiency all the 

 nuy through and the wastes of time and materials. These are the 

 things we are anxious to conserve. Of course, the consumer was 

 wrong at the start in not giving all the information as regards the 

 placing of that order but the lumberman was at fault in answering- the 

 way he did. There was no need of the consumer's second letter nor 

 the lumberman's answer. The lumberman's first letter, written an- 

 other way, was all that was necessary. 



The writer talked with this lumberman and showed him hi.s errors 

 in handling correspondence. He also suggested that when the latter 

 next saw that consumer to have him exhibit the letter that tool; rlie 

 order. The lumberman did. The letter was as follows: 

 .Messrs. 



Gentlemen : Answering your inquiry, you do not stare wliat grade it is 

 that you want, so we are quoting you on all three, trusting that this will 

 answer your Inquiry and not to delay you in placing the order. 



1 car 1" Is & 2s birch .$44 per M. delivered. 



This is choice Canadian stock, is dry and well manufactured. It will 

 average about 8 to 8%" and run fully So'/c 14' and 10' lengths. Good 

 plump thickness is assured and the grade fully up to the National rules. 

 We can make immediate shipment — wiring you car number the day after 

 receipt of order. 



This is unselected birch on which we are quoting. 



It you want a car of 1" Is & 2s red birch, tlie price would lie .f.jU per M. 

 delivered. This will average about 7M;" and otherwise the above holds 

 good for this Item. 



The other two grades fire as follows : 



'•■J Y,r 



"M 



rade was stated as Is & L's. 

 We are ready to make immediate shipn 

 5 you know. May we ship this car to yo 

 Yours very tr 



e believe that is 

 [iths ago, but the 



We give splendid serv 



way. It saved the consumer a letter and itself having to answer tlic 

 extra letter. In other words, it gave the consumer all the informa- 

 tion he could ask for. It covered his omission by its answer. Yet, 

 t.iking all in all, this "Progressive Lumber Company," used nothing 

 liiit common .sen.se in its answer. Human nature doesn't like to admit 

 mistakes or omissions and have to follow them up with m. re ex- 

 I'lnse, as was the case in the first instance. 



In the second place, the "Progressive company's" corres[;oiiiieiit 

 left no room for further questions. He gave all the information tiir'.t 

 \vas necessary. The ilescription given was as good as if the car 

 itself were on exhibition for a sale and it was either a "yes" or "no." 



it is the little leaks that make the big ones. If you can't .stop t'ne 

 little ones, what chance have you to stop the big onesf Outside ot not 

 getting the order, the first lumberman had a charge of from twenty 

 to sixty cents for the two letters which in .the end produced no 

 results. One letter would have been sufficient (as was the ease with 

 the Progressive Lumber Company), at a cost of from ten to tvifenty 

 cents. These costs vary, naturally, with the kind of stationery, num- 

 ber of letters turned out per day, speed in taking dictation, over- 

 he:id expense of office and machine, depreciation. By the way, how 

 many of you have ever stopped to figure the cost of a letter.' .\11 

 the items mentioned must be taken into consideration. 



It is safe to .say that the consumer will be careful in the future 

 to see that all the information is on his inquiry. It is also safe to 

 assume that the first lumberman mentioned will be more specific in 

 his replie.s. He is, inciilentally, quite a close student of "Business 

 I orrcsiiondence" and his letters have changed considerably for the 

 better. 



That is only one instance of the wastes in the otHee. Ever think 

 of the stamps you waste? Some time ago the writer was standing 

 at the mailing desk of his concern and saw three letters sealed, all 

 addressed to the same concern. This opened his eyes to the wastes 

 in postage. These letters were opened and all three put in one 

 envelope. They went under one stamp. Look at the waste in just 

 this one instance: two envelopes, two stamps, time wasted addressing 

 two envelojies — two minutes, time wasted in stamping, sealing, etc., 

 the two extra envelopes. That doesn't seem to be of much account, 

 does if? But while the writer stood there he found five other in- 

 stances. These little things are the things that count. During the 

 next few years every business must undergo a radical change in its 

 handling and operating departments in order to survive. Eemember. 

 little leaks make big ones. 



A great many concerns buy envelopes printed by the government 

 with the stamp embossed thereon. The only trouble with this manner 

 of getting them is that you have to order them way ahead and then 

 tie up a considerable amount of money in the stock. The writer 

 recently installed a stamp machine which has paid for itself already. 

 It serves a two-fold purpose. "When the mail is ready to be sent out, 

 the sales letters are stamped first. The boy records the number on 

 the stamp-cyclometer before he starts stamping and after he finishes. 

 This he puts on a list under sales. Then he stamps the mill letters 

 and records the number on the list under mill letters. Then, the 

 general correspondence, bills, invoices, etc. This record is laid on 

 the writer's desk for comparison. By it he can tell just how many let- 

 ters were turned out in each department and see if the work is up 

 to standard. The stamp machine is locked and therefore the chance 

 of stamps being stolen, is minimized. 



Another inexpensive but efficient and time-saving machine is the 

 envelope sealer. Two liundred letters can be sealed in less than ten 

 minutes. One young lady can stamp and seal two hundred letters 

 in sixteen minutes. Just compare that record some day, with the 

 way you do it in your own. office. Remember, every minute saved 

 means more time for other work and consequently, money saved. 



One great waste in time is that lost in having to get up to get this 

 or that. The writer makes it a rule that all the office force shall see 



