RECOGNITION OF AUTHORITY. 363 



are naturally vicious, but they are in the minority ; the 

 chances are nine to ten that when your man tells you you 

 have a brute in your stable, the creature indicated is the one 

 speaking to you. 



RECOGNITION OF AUTHORITY. 



The positions of master and servant are ones that are 

 often abused by both persons ; by the former through becom- 

 ing too lax in demanding the proper observance of the for- 

 malities in speech and manners, thoroughness in the execution 

 of the work, and in the attention that the owner should give 

 to the< comfort and welfare of the servant. On the other 

 hand, the coachman or groom too frequently becomes uncivil, 

 slights or neglects his work and pillages by taking commis- 

 sions. When such conditions exist the master and servant 

 may be separately or jointly at fault. The master must qual- 

 ify himself to command, the servant to obey. 



The position of owner or head man to those under him 

 should be distinctly recognized and maintained. In many 

 instances grooms of inferior ability, but endowed with a lib- 

 eral allowance of self-assurance, are virtual masters of the 

 stable and cost the owner no small sum by their mismanage- 

 ment. Therefore if an owner assumes control of his stable, 

 let him, at the outset, have it understood that his orders are 

 final and are to be obeyed to the letter. Stable men will 

 sometimes endeavor to thwart a master by violating his 

 orders and then citing the consequences as being the result 

 of the owner's bad judgment ; this may be prevented by per- 

 sonally supervising, for a few times, such orders as are likely 

 to be wilfully misconstrued. To command respect and obedi- 

 ence it is necessary that the owner should know whereof 



