"  The  chief  obstacle  to  success  in  any  large  business  is  the  diffi-
culty of  personal  supervision.  Few  men  work  conscientiously  for
others  as  they  work  for  themselves,  and  most  of  the  defects  of
manufacture  or  faults  of  service  that  injure  the  reputation  of  a
house  with  its  customers  would  be  avoided  were  the  proprietor  able
to  attend  to  every  detail  himself.  Now,  if  you  are  all  in  a  sense
proprietors,  will  not  the  cutter  endeavor  to  turn  out  as  perfect  work
as  his  skill  is  capable  of  producing?  Will  not  the  examiner,  both
of  piece  goods  and  of  garments,  consider  that  his  individual  interests
are  liable  to  be  affected  by  any  defect  he  may  overlook  ?  Will  not
the  salesman  use  his  best  tact,  his  utmost  patience  and  politeness,
to  secure  customers,  and  to  keep  them?  While  everywhere  about
the  house  a  hundred  eyes  are  watching  to  prevent  little  leaks  and
protect  the  property  of  the  firm,  because  even  the  boy  who  sweeps
up  rags  and  runs  errands  feels  that  he  is  neglecting  his  own  busi-
ness when  he  fails  to  exert  his  greatest  industry  and  care  in  the
work  set  before  him."

The  capital  employed  is  $600,000,  according  to  Mr.  Cham-
bers, who  is  authority  for  this  entire  account,  and  the
annual  business  is  $1,800,000.  The  regular  number  of
employes   is  275,  and  100  more  are  temporarily  employed


Rogers,  Peet  S  Co.  175

as  business  demands,  and  also  receive  a  share  in  the
profits.  This  share,  for  the  year  1886,  amounted  to  about
3^  per  cent,  in  addition  to  the  wages  of  about  $200,000,  and
the  result  is  pronounced  altogether  favorable.
January  19th,  1887,  another  dinner  was  given  at  the
Metropolitan  Hotel,  when  the  profits  were  divided.  Mr.
