100 



The Florists^ Review 



August 19, 1920 



*^ RETAIL STORE MANAGEMENT 



WHAT THE LEADERS IN THE TRADE ARE DOING 



ON THE SEVENTH DAY. 



Wiy the Florist Ijabored. 



There was a time, not so long ago, 

 when the rest of the business world did 

 not take the florist seriously. This state 

 of affairs arose from the fact that in 

 nearly every instance the persons who 

 laid the foundation of the business as 

 it exists today started in a humble way. 

 They did not have much capital to in- 

 vest and in most cases were lacking in 

 business methods. To be frank, there 

 was not much business dignity about the 

 start of this industry on the part of the 

 florists themselves. 



On the other hand, the public was not 

 educated in the use of flowers. About 

 the only patrons of the florists in those 

 days were the natural lovers of flowers. 

 Did you ever stop to consider that in all 

 of the arts there is a small percentage 

 of the public who can be compared to 

 these natural flower lovers? Take music, 

 for instance; occasionally you hear of 

 persons who have never had a lesson and 

 perhaps do not know one written note 

 from another, yet can sing or play some 

 instrument like an expert. Nature has 

 endowed them with special talent in 

 this line. The same proportion occurs 

 in any field of activity. But when you 

 are considering this phase of the ques- 

 tion, don't fail to remember what a 

 small percentage are the number of 

 people so gifted. And yet this small 

 percentage was all our forefathers had 

 to depend upon to lay the foundation 

 of a business that today stands as a 

 monument to their skill and persever- 

 ance, more enduring than a granite 

 shaft. 



But I spoke of business dignity, and 

 when I speak of this I do not want to be 

 construed to mean that the founders of 

 the trade were in any way lacking in 

 personal dignity or in sterling honesty, 

 but that because they did not possess 

 the necessary financial resources, they 

 felt that they were at the beck and call 

 of everyone. 



Beversing the Situation. 



In those days it was seldom that a 

 florist, if he had an opportunity to make 

 a profitable deal, could go to his bank 

 and have his note discounted. It would 

 be necessary for him to put his little 

 establishment up as collateral, if this 

 was clear. Then, perhaps, on Sunday 

 morning this same banker would call at 

 his store and tell him he wanted a few 

 plants to plant about his home, that he 

 was a busy man and did not have time 

 to attend to such matters during the 

 week. This brings us to the subject of 

 this article; namely, Sunday closing in 

 the florists' business. 



After studying this question for a 

 long time, I feel thoroughly convinced 

 that the reason the florist feels that he 

 is obliged to do business on the first day 

 of the week is the narrow and provincial 



manner in which he has conducted his 

 business. Let us take the florist and the 

 banker referred to above. Let us re- 

 verse their positions on the Sunday 

 mentioned. Suppose that the florist 

 went to the banker and told him he 

 was a busy man and did not have time 

 to attend to such trifles as negotiating 

 a loan during the week. Why, that 

 banker would just humor him while 

 some other member of the family got in 

 touch with the police; they would think 

 they had a maniac to deal with, who 

 might become dangerous at any minute. 

 Yet one proposition is just as sane as 

 the other. It has not been so long since, 

 whenever it was possible, funerals were 

 put off until Sunday, in order that those 

 attending might not lose any time. No 

 thought was given to the undertaker, 

 the livery men, the grave diggers and 

 the florist. These classes did not come 

 under the operation of the Fourth Com- 

 mandment, but these men, through their 

 various organizations, have been the 



means of reducing the number of Sun- 

 day funerals to a minimum. 



Reasons for Sunday Closing. 



I have read with a great deal of in- 

 terest the reasons that many give for 

 joining the Sunday closing movement, 

 why the florist should have one day of 

 rest in seven. Some speak of the dig- 

 nity that it adds to the business, and 

 there is no doubt of that. Others speak 

 nf the need of one day's rest in seven 

 and the better results obtained from 

 labor during the six remaining days, 

 and this assertion cannot be gainsaid. 

 There is no doubt that the morale of 

 employees is better when they have a 

 day to themselves at the end of the week 

 to look forward to, and not the same 

 continuous grind to confront them. 

 Then there is the man who will tell 

 you that Sunday should be observed 

 because it gives the florist an oppor- 

 tunity to get better acquainted with 

 his family, to spend one day in seven 



We Deliver 



Direct To Every Outgoing 



Steamer Sailing From 



New York Cityf 



Hohoken^ 



Brooklyn 



If You Want Service — 



You Want Schling ! 



Long Distance Phones: 



Plaza 



(7241 

 ] 7242 

 K.2022 



STEAMEB SAIUNGS. 



Display the following list of steamer sailings in a conspicuous place in your 

 window or store, or use it in advertising matter with the statement that you have 

 facilities for filling bon voyage orders on short notice at any port. You can 

 thus develop telegraph business for steamer trade, especially at this time of year. 



Steamer- 



From — 



To— 



Sails 



Tunisian Montreal 



La Lorraine . . .New York 

 Ilaverford ..Philadelphia 



Corsican Montreal 



Kochambeau . .New York 



China San Fr'sco 



Caronia New York 



Megantic Montreal 



Colombia San Fr'sco 



lapland New York 



St. Paul New York 



Satumla Montreal 



Korea Haru. . .San Fr'sco 



Katorl Maru Seattle 



Canada Montreal 



Ventura San Fr'sco 



P. Fr. Wllhelm.. Quebec 

 Frederik VIII. New York 

 Emp. of Asia. . .V'couver 

 Tajima Maru ...Seattle 



London Aug. 20 



Havre Aug. 20 



Liverpool . . . .Aug. 20 

 LiveriMol . . . .Aug. 21 



Havre Aug. 21 



Yokohama ...Aug. 21 



Liverpool Aug. 21 



Uverpool Aug. 21 



Yokohama . . . .Aug. 21 



Antwerp Aug. 21 



Southampton ..Aug. 21 



Glasgow Aug. 21 



Yokohama Aug. 21 



Yokohama Aug. 21 



Liverpool Aug. 24 



Sydney Aug. 24 



Liverpool Aug. 25 



Copenhagen ...Aug. 26 

 Yokohama . . . Aug. 26 

 Yokohnmn . . .Aug. 27 



Steamer — 



From — 



To — 



Sails 



Lafayette New York 



Uelita Montreal 



Aquitania New York 



Olympic New York 



Finland New York 



Celtic New York 



Drottningholm . New York 

 Rotterdam . . . New York 



Columbia New York 



Stavangerf'd ..New York 



Sicilian Montreal 



Victorian Quebec 



Royal George . . New York 

 Mauretanin . . .. New York 

 United States. New York 



La Savole New York 



Grampian Montreal 



Philadelphia ..New York 



Baltic New York 



Zeeland New York 



Havre Aug. 27 



Liverpool Aug. 2S 



Southampton .Aug. 28 

 Southampton .Aug. 28 



Antwerp Aug. 28 



Liverpool Aug. 28 



Sweden Aug. 28 



Rotterdam . . .Aug. 28 



Glasgow Aug. 28 



Norway Aug. -^ 



Glasgow Sept. 1 



Liverpool ....Sept. 1 

 Southampton .Sept. 1 

 Southampton .Sept. 2 

 Copenhagen ..Sept. 



Havre ., Sept. 



Antwerp' Sept. 



Southampton .Sept. 

 Liverpool ....Sept. 

 Antwerp Sept. 





