Among the Books

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17756, 17 September 1927, Page 13

Among the Books

RETURN TO EARTH. I have no foal' at last to be _ Home with her that cradled me, Nor shall my being shrink to blend AYit.h her dark being in the end— So one wo are, so well I know Tne bounty of the heart below Her holy love. Have I not heard The lonely and prophetic word .Her hushed hills and valleys keep Locked in their eternal sleep! In Bethlehem, in buried days, So the sacred story says, Out of her ancient dream awoke 'J'ho elcir'iital heart, and spoke Sucli thunder in the ears of men As echoes ever after —then Closed her lips in sleep again. —John AVlieelock, in the Forum. THE BOOKMAN’S TABLE — ll * SPECIAL REVIEW OF THE WEEK. “On Leaving Bchcol and the Choice of a Career," by Sir Charles Cheers Wakefield. Bart. (I-lodder and Stoughton, London). (Per W. S. Smart; .Sydney). “The' emphatic advice one would give to the modern parent in regard to the ‘finding of a suitable vacation for a girl or boy is to avoid, as far as possible,” writes Mr AValcefield in one of • the earlier chapters, “all 'blind alley’ occupations.” And very good advice, too: This excellent and valuable book (which can be purchased for the modest sum of ‘S/'6.) by one of the leading business men of the day and an ex-Mayor of London, will appeal equally to parents and to their sons and daughters still at school, who are faced with the problem of choosing a career.

Sir Charles Wakefield, who is well nullified by wide experience to write upon the subject, of success in life, gires a great deal of sound advice out of his practical knowledge gathered in the hard school of the world. He surveys a large number of possible occupations for men and women. His chapter on the field of opportunity is of utmost value, and contains a warning (in reference to the danger of drifting into “blind alley” occupations) which is too oftm disregarded, particularly by girfe: ‘lt may be easy; it may be pleasant involving perhaps the handling ant wearing of pretty things in artistic surroundings or the cheerful bustle of office life; but if it is likely to.bring the girl to a dead end as regards salary and promotion in the y- d-twentios it is to be avoided. When, she has ceased to be a girl sle may not want to be married; and iq thoughtful parent would wish her t( be forced into., marriage as a neans of escape from a poorly paid aid prospectless occupation, i Mr AVakefield, while by no means depreciating the value of acquisition of knowledge, insists that more than took learning is demanded of the youth about to embark upon the troublous waters of present day business: “Whether launched into the world of affairs from the elementary school at the age of fourteen, or fifteen, or from the secondary school at sixteen or upwards, the new recruit in commerce or industry who realises the need for self-reliance, and who has an alert, enquiring mind, has in him all the elements of success. It is of course assumed that he is not deficient in the basic virtues of honesty and diligence. “This self-reliant type of youth is most likely to possess that power of •‘rapid decision which bulks so largely in the character of successful men. One often hears it said of a business man, that you can ‘never get a decision from him,’ and we know at once the type of man referred to — a bad lieutenant in an emergency. There are many occasions in the life of every man when he is called upon id decide, to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to an important question that is put to him. Some are so dull that they do not even see the alternatives —with their potentialities for good or ill—■ present themselves at these decisive moments. Others see them, hesitate- —and decide wrongly, or too late. The right decision must be made at the right time, and it is this rare and valuable gift—this power of decision —which sturdy selfreliance can give to a man.” ~ In the chapter on “Character,” Mr Wakefield touches on a most vital essential in the modern business and commercial world. He says:

“There is another quality of which the ’prentice in commerce needs to have a goodly share, and that is loyalty. By this I mean something more than the mere passive virtue of gratitude either for past favours or for those to ,come. Loyalty is an active force. A well-conducted school aims at arousing in its scholars the team spirit. This_, quite as much as any mere technical ability in the art 6f teaching, leads to success and to the sending out into the world of hoys and girls who are proud of their School, and of whom their school has a right to be proud. “Whatever faults there may be in some branches of our national education,” Mr Wakefield admits, “British schools are, I think, very successful in imbuing young young people with the fine spirit of loyalty.” Getting down to the big problem pf the real education demanded by Modern needs, Mr Wakefield says: “I urge upon parents and young people upon leaving school the great value of a real command of sound, fluent and simple English in speech and writing. The present standard is undoubtedly lower than it should be. The difficulty of business chiefs ip dealing with foreign competition is thereby greatly increased, for one cannot send young men abroad to XEfspansifclcy TEnJI-puicL pasts unless, they hanns warn now appear to no exceptional qualifications in this rcFxGCffiafLn/f to elaborate tain jttnunffi of ctiu'ea l-cuul' aesda, Mr Wakefield am yu: '’“The immediate! although not the most essential rer.-lco: Line Education cam render \o those' 7»3k» are to serve cacmmerce ip to equip them witn technical skin end knowledge'.” There sre: mscy :;nrpricers awaiting: •fifes; average: teacher who might delve' itn-iffi the pagers of Tlr Wakefield’s smihmninn-tine: smS timely book:' ““First of eU. nsrli efficiency ini ;E&arrtliand and iTPCTcntfcing: can. never' be wasted efi'o.::.. X:r themselves', these two sahjectoi cannot.,, of: co.uir.se-,. he ijaid to to to; SKUSffiJ®;; fii’ey

are merely tools that are universally useful and necessary. It would, however, be a mistake for the ambitious youth to go to the other extreme and regard these attainments as not worth powder and shot. The value of rapid and trustworthy shorthand to the departmental manager or confidential clerk, at business conferences or trade association meetings, is obvious. . . . The command of one or both of these tools of the business worker frequently proves a decided factor in success in the more individual and responsible posts both inside and outside the office—to the commercial traveller, the private secretary, or the personal assistant to a managing director, to the sales manager, or staff officer. “Other qualities—character, intelligence or special knowledge of one kind or another —are the essential requirements; but as between two - young men equally gifted in these important matters, the one who can best use his pen and his typewriter will probably be promoted. That is why I place these rudimentary weapons of commercial life first, and my advice to the healthily ambitious youth is not to neglect or despise them, but rather to take a pride—becoming efficient thereat as soon as possible. Whatever may be the nature and direction of his aspirations, they cannot but help him on the way.” The book is a good deal more than a guide to specific careers. Sir Charles AVakefield is just as much concerned with the responsible conduct of life and the best method of ‘.raining men to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities offered by modern business. Men with the necessary qualities are not, he declares, being produced in sufficient numbers to-day:

“The greatest change that has occurred in the world of business during the last generation is the emergence of the big business, and a consequently ever-widening choice of important administrative posts of a skilled or professional character. . . The occupants of these salient key positions are still nominally employees, but they are daily and hourly exercising far greater power and personal responsibility than that which formerly devolved upon many quite prosperous heads of firms.” Sir Charles AVakefield is an ardent believer in education, not purely vocational or purely general, but a judicious mixture of the two. As is characteristic of the Englishman who knows the ways of the world, he stresses the value of character: “AVe realise anew (in facing postwar problems) that the commercial prosperity of. the country depends not alone upon economic and financial conditions. Moral principles also must be considered, and the character and ideals that inspire the citizens of to-morrow will decide our commercial future, as well as the larger issues of church and State. “The truth is,” as Cir Charles insists, “that many, if not all, of our social problems and national activities are linked'up with problems of education, and commerce is no exception.” In it he sees the cure for immaturity which is fatal to the development of qualities of initiative and self-reliance without which success in any calling is impossible. Sir Charles AVakefiekl’s enlighten- ] ing book should be read by every parent and by everyone interested in educational progress.