The romance of business

Front matter

. ave uA.

Et eit eae

-.

Preface

Tue editors of The Open Road did me the honor to consult me in regard to some of the problems confronting their paper in its early days; and in the course of our conversation I suggested the advisability of their running a series of articles calculated to explain the nature of business, in the hope that it would remove some of the prejudices that many people wrongly hold against business. I pointed out how little was realized of the vital part business plays in our lives, and urged the editors to find some one to undertake the job. They countered my suggestion by asking me to write the articles myself, which, after some hesitation because of a pressure of other occupations, and partly, too, through disinclination to write, I finally agreed to do; and the articles duly appeared.

In this work I had the valuable codperation of a number of men who are experts in their particular fields, and I wish here v1 PREFACE to express my hearty appreciation of their assistance. They are my brother, Dr. Alexander Forbes, who wrote the larger part of the paper on Electricity; John J. Carty, of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company; Colonel Charles R. Gow; Ray Morris, of Brown Brothers & Company; Russell Robb, of Stone & Webster; and Clayton H. Ernst, Charles B. Hawes, and Ormond E. Loomis, of The Open Road. My thanks are also due, for much valuable help, to the First National Bank of Boston, and Arthur D. Little, Inc.; as well as to Mr. A. L. Ripley, who made the illustrations.

I hope this reissue in book form, in reaching a new set of readers, will continue to carry out the purpose of these articles, bring about a better understanding of some of our problems, and tend to correct the dangerous fallacy that property is an evil and business somewhat reprehensible. If this is accomplished, the book will serve a useful purpose.

W. CAMERON FORBES _ September, 1921

Contents

. AS WE ENCOUNTER IT AT THE BREAK-

FAST TABLE

. THE Story or TEXTILES