should be supreme. His work for a year should be considered as a
whole. If, at the end of his contract, what he has done is not
satisfactory, let him be told so in a lump. Continual petty hammering
at him drives him to despair.

For example: I know of one firm in the wholesale hat business, that
raised hob in a letter with their best man because he would, in
selling dozen lots to customers, specify sizes on the goods that his
customer wished,--a most absurd thing for the house to do. The
merchant must, of course, keep his own stock clean and not become
over-stocked on certain sizes. If he has been handling a certain
"number" and has sold out all of the small sizes, only the large ones
remaining, it would be foolish for him to buy regular sizes and get in
his lot the usual proportion of large ones. All he needs and will need
for several months, perhaps, will be the smaller run of sizes. Now,
the salesman on the spot and the merchant know just what should be
ordered, and if the house kicks on the salesman on this point, as did
this house, they act absurdly.

Not only do too many houses write kicking letters to their men on the
road, but fail to show the proper appreciation for their salesmen's
efforts to get good results. When a salesman has done good work and
knows it, he loves to be told so, craves in the midst of his hard work
a little word of good cheer. And the man handling salesmen who is wise
enough to write a few words of encouragement and appreciation to his
salesmen on the road, knows not how much these few words help them to
succeed in greater measure. It is a mistake for the "Old Man" to feel
that if he writes or says too many kind words to his salesmen, he will
puff them up. This is the reason many refrain from giving words of
encouragement. The man on the road, least of all men, is liable to get