BUSINESS OF THE WORKERS, BY THE WORKERS, AND FOR THE WORKERS--HOW
IT SUCCEEDS.

BY EDWARD A. FILENE

"I know I am right. Leave it to any fair-minded person to decide."

"Good enough," I replied; "you name one, I will name another, and
let them select a third."

She agreed; we selected the umpires and they decided against the
store!

It had come about in this way. The store rule had been that cashiers
paid for shortages in their accounts as--in our view--a penalty for
carelessness; we did not care about the money. This girl had been
short in an account; the amount had been deducted from her pay, and,
not being afraid to speak out, she complained:

"If I am over in my accounts, it is a mistake; but if I am short, am
I a thief? Why should I pay back the money? Why can't a mistake be
made in either direction?"

This arbitration--although it had caused a decision against
us--seemed such a satisfactory way of ending disputes that we
continued the practice in an informal way. Out of it grew the
present arbitration board, which is the corner-stone of the relation
between our store and the employees, because it affords the
machinery for getting what employees are above all else interested
in--a square deal.

DESCRIPTIVE BEGINNINGS. Just as description of characters or of scene
and setting is one method of beginning short stories and novels, so also
it constitutes a form of introduction for an article. In both cases the
aim is to create immediate interest by vivid portrayal of definite
persons and places. The concrete word picture, like the concrete
instance in a narrative beginning, makes a quick and strong appeal. An
element of suspense or mystery may be introduced into the description,
if a person, a place, or an object is described without being identified
by name until the end of the portrayal.

The possibilities of description are not limited to sights alone;
sounds, odors and other sense impressions, as well as emotions, may be
described. Frequently several different impressions are combined. To
stir the reader's feelings by a strong emotional description is
obviously a good method of beginning.

A descriptive beginning, to be clear to the rapid reader, should be
suggestive rather than detailed. The average person can easily visualize
a picture that is sketched in a few suggestive words, whereas he is
likely to be confused