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754 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



AuacsT 24, 1905. 



A Part of the Exhibit of H. Bayendorfer & Co. at the Washington G>nvention, August 15 to 18, 1905. 



are possible on all classes of freight and ex- 

 press matter. 



To strive to do away with the government 

 seed distribution by congressmen. 



To secure the postal rate of $8.00 per 100 

 pounds on catalogues, pamphlets and other 

 printed matter weighing two ounces each, or 

 more, without affixing stamps. 



To secure a convenient parcels' post system, 

 both domestic and foreign. 



We deprecate the giving of commissions to 

 gardeners or others who have charge "T)f making 

 purchases for public institutions or at large pri- 

 vate places, and believe that some plan should 

 be devised to do away with this practice. 



It was moved that a special committee, 

 composed of one member from each or- 

 ganization be appointed by the chairman 

 to consider the subject of graft or com- 

 missions paid to the agent of buyers 

 and the chair appointed Messrs. Kelsey, 

 Hammond and Page. On motion a com- 

 mittee, consisting of Messrs. Page, Pier- 

 son and Watrous was appointed on postal 

 legislation. A committee on transporta- 

 tion was also appointed, consisting of 

 Messrs. Meehan, Green and Pierson. 



A resolution was presented, setting 

 forth that it is the sense of the joint com- 

 mittee that each association should, as 

 far as possible, appoint each year the 

 chairmen of the three committees which 

 are most concerned in subjects of mutual 

 interests as members of this joint com- 

 mittee. 



THE IDEAL EMPLOYER. 



By S. S. SKIDEL8KY, Or PHILADELPHIA. 



[Awarded first prize in the convention contest 

 for the Beatty prizes for best essays on this 

 subject.] 



Our worthy president, Mr. Vaughan, 

 in his very able and thoughtful paper 

 on the ideal employee, which he delivered 

 before the Society of American Florists 

 and Ornamental Horticulturists, at St. 

 Louis, dwells with remarkable clearness 

 upon those qualities which, in his opin- 

 ion, constitute the chief requirements of 

 an ideal employee. Like all successful 

 business men, employers of labor, he 

 seems to have a pretty clear and accu- 

 rate idea of the kind of men that con- 

 tribute largely toward the success of a 

 business enterprise. 



Men of the Garcia messenger type, 

 knowing no fear, despising difficulties 

 and defying all hardships, having but 

 one aim and object in view— and that the 

 achievement of success for their employer 

 — such men, I say, are indeed ideal in 

 the broadest sense of the word. 



Granted, then, that such men are a 

 blessing and are well worthy of their 

 hire, the question naturally arises who is 

 responsible for such unselfish devotion on 

 the part of the employee. 



In viewing the ideal employee, one 

 must be sure to take a simultaneous 

 glance at the employer himself. And this 

 brings me to the question I have under- 

 taken to answer, namely. What is an 

 ideal employer? 



Briefly stated, the ideal employer is a 

 man of a broad turn of mind, of broad 

 views, by nature an optimist, a man of 

 lofty aims and aspirations, one incapable 

 of a mean, selfish deed, whose domestic 

 life is pure and chaste, who, in his rela- 

 tions to his fellowmen, is governed not by 

 pelf but by that divine rule which pre- 

 scribes "Love thy neighbor as thyself." 

 The ideal employer is a man, who, aside 

 from his business training, has imbibed 

 those moral truths but for which our 

 world would be desolate and dreary, a 

 man who, like the late Geo. W. Childs, 

 lives for the welfare of his fellowmen. 

 When the Typographical Union of Phila- 

 delphia sent a delegation to Mr. Childs in- 

 tructine it to impress upon that good 

 man the Heedlessness of paying his em- 

 ployees more than their union schedule 

 required, the worthy gentleman replied 

 that his men earned all he gave them, 

 that he did not intend to reduce the pay- 

 roll, scale or no scale. Such men are in- 

 deed ideal employers, and it is with such 

 men that the ideal employee is to be 

 found. "Like master, like man," is a 

 truth that no sophistry can shake. 



Having defined in a general way the 

 qualities to be sought in the ideal em- 

 ployee, I will now attempt, by way of 

 contrast, to present a picture of the real 

 employer. Far be it, however, from my 

 intention to reflect upon the honesty and 

 integrity of the gentlemen present, most 

 of whom, I take it for granted, are em- 

 ployers. 



The truth, however, requires me to 

 take a pessimistic view of the aims and 

 notions that govern some of our employ- 

 ers in their relations to their men. The 

 grower who hires his man to look after 

 his roses and carnations, seldom if ever 

 gives him a thought beyond that of what 

 he can produce. If the stock is credit- 

 able, well and good; else out he goes to 



make room for another man. On the 

 face of it, it looks proper of course. 

 Yet, how often do we ignore conditions 

 and circumstances beyond the control of 

 the best men? Good wages to the right 

 man are paid as a rule, not because of 

 choice, but because of necessity. I have 

 often met men working from sunrise till 

 sunset and late into the cold, wintry 

 nights for a paltry few dollars per week. 

 At last, when life becomes burdensome 

 and a more suitable place is found at a 

 higher wage, the employer is ready to 

 offer better terms. Necessity, of course, 

 has compelled him to * ' compromise. ' ' 



Such is not the ideal employer. The 

 "knight of the grip" or the man of the 

 road is as happy as the proverbial lark 

 when he can show ' ' big results ' ' and send 

 good orders to the house. Fifteen below 

 zero, or ninety in the shade, it matters 

 not to him. Out he goes on his daily 

 rounds, trudging along some country road 

 in quest of business, faithful to his trust, 

 like the trim soldier defending a right- 

 eous cause, hopeful and persevering. 

 Somewhere in the great city of New 

 York or Chicago, a little woman and lit- 

 tle children feel lonesome, at times deso- 

 late and forlorn because of the absence 

 of their bread-winner and protector. 

 Things look discouraging and gloomy at 

 times on the road, despite one's best ef- 

 forts. At such times a word of encour- 

 agement would be welcome indeed, but 

 here is a letter. "Get a hustle on your- 

 self," it says, "you must do better." 

 ' ' Why don 't you sell to Mr. So and So? " 

 Results are wanted regardless of all cir- 

 cumstances. Those who read the letters 

 of Mr. Graham, the pork packer, to his 

 son, which appeared periodically in the 

 Saturday Evening Post, can see the typi- 

 cal real employer. Mr. Graham wants no 

 apologies, no explanations, he wants or- 

 ders for pork, spareribs, lard, and — noth- 

 ing but orders. Very laudable, indeed, 

 but the ideal employer is not reflected in 

 Mr. Graham. 



The man or woman behind the counter 

 toiling from morning till evening, and 

 during the rush of the holiday season late 

 into the night, finds no pleasure in the 

 work if his or her efforts are not appre- 

 ciated. Things are done in a half-hearted 

 manner. On the other hand, be the 

 employer of the ideal type, having the in- 



