curves for all the operating reports of different departments of the business. The operating reports regularly furnished by the accounting departments of the business would be gone through carefully, and figures transcribed from these reports to the curve cards mentioned previously. There could also be in the record room a series of maps, large wall charts in the form of curves, and perhaps loose-leaf books or large vertical card files for cumulative curves such as are shown in Fig. 134. Since the information contained in this room is practically a history of every phase of the business, it would be desirable to have the room enclosed with fire-proof walls and fire-proof doors and equipped with fire-proof file cases and furniture so that the destruction of the records by fire would be absolutely impossible. As good light is essential in such a room, large windows are necessary. The windows can ordinarily be sufficiently protected against fire by using polished plate glass reinforced with wire to prevent breaking of the glass from fire in adjoining buildings.
The title given the man who does the work described is really not important. Ordinarily, in a large corporation, he would be ranked as assistant to the president, as he should report only to the chief executive officer in the particular office in which he is located. He could, if desired, be given the title of chief of the record department, or, in a larger business where much specialized information is sought from outside sources, the title of "statistician" might be justified. In the work of most corporations it would soon be found desirable to have a man of the type described collect and record, for convenient use, data from sources entirely outside of the business itself. Most companies have to buy large quantities of raw material which fluctuates greatly in price. To assist in making decisions relating to purchases, it would usually be found desirable to have curves plotted for the chief materials entering into the finished product, such as pig iron, copper, tin, zinc, cotton, lumber, coal, etc. Very desirable information could also be obtained concerning the business conditions of the country as a whole. Since practically every business is affected by the general waves of financial prosperity and depression, a good man in this position could be of great assistance to the chief executive, by carefully studying some series of curves (which might, after long experience, prove to be the best barometer available) to indicate changes for better or worse in the general financial conditions affecting the particular business in question.
