But,  as  noted  already,  if  a  man  is  compelled  to  participate


FACTS   AND   THEIR   VALUE  245

in  reports,  he  may  unconsciously  send  incorrect  statements
simply  because  he  is  not  interested  in  them  or  in  the  results  to
which  they  may  lead.
Making  Reports  Understandable

Reports  or  statistics  are  not  worth  the  paper  upon  which
they  are  written  or  printed  if  they  are  not  understood  by  the
recipient.  The  reason  for  compiling  the  facts  aljout  an  indus-
try is  not  to  show  the  mathematical  ability  of  an  association,
or  the  beauty  or  cleverness  of  the  manner  of  presentation,  but
to  convey  to  the  mind  of  the  recipient  the  true  facts  about  mar-
ket conditions,  so  that  he  may  intelligently  govern  his  actions.
The  average  business  man  is  not  a  statistician,  nor  has  he
the  time  or  inclination  to  sit  down  with  a  mass  of  figures  in
front  of  him  and  try  to  dig  out  of  them  what  they  mean  in
relation  to  the  conditions  in  his  industry.  The  secretary  and
his  assistants  should  make  this  analysis  for  him.
In  this  connection  it  should  also  be  noted  that  graphic
methods  of  presentation  are  of  great  assistance  in  the  clear
formulation  of  a  report.  Rightly  to  serve  its  purpose,  the
report  should  be  a  picture ;  that  is  to  say,  it  should  be  in  a  form
which  can  at  once  be  comprehended,  at  least  in  all  its  essential
features.  A  member  can  understand  market  conditions  a  great
deal  better  if  he  can  see  at  a  glance  what  the  conditions  are.
The  effort  should  be  made  accordingly,  whenever  possible,  to
present  information  in  graphic  form.
