The importance of securing a file clerk with proper qualifications is apparently overlooked in many offices. A girl is placed in charge because she will work for a small salary, resulting--unless she is qualified--in very poor service. An incompetent file clerk can, in a short time, get the files in a demoralized condition almost impossible to straighten out. The necessity of proper filing makes the position one of real importance. On the other hand, the possibilities of the position are seldom appreciated by the clerk. This is due, perhaps, to the policy of making the position one of the lowest in the office from the salary standpoint; but the greatest possibilities of the position lie outside of the salary question. The position of file clerk is a sure stepping stone to something better--a more responsible and better paid position. No clerk in the office has a better opportunity to obtain a general knowledge of the business. From the stenographer who files the manager's personal correspondence, to the clerk in charge of an extensive filing division, each is intrusted with important papers revealing the very secrets of the business. The position is a confidential one, and the clerk who can absorb the information that must inevitably come to his notice, and _keep the information to himself_, is surely preparing to fill a higher position; he has a golden opportunity to demonstrate his absolute trustworthiness. FILING SYSTEMS [Illustration: Fig. 9. Flat Letter File. _Browne-Morse Co._] The evolution of methods of filing is itself an interesting study. From the days when the merchant preserved his bills and important letters by hanging them on a sharp-pointed hook, to the present with filing cabinets of pleasing design and careful construction, in sizes to hold papers of all shapes and kinds, there has been constant progress. The advance of business methods, bringing with it an ever-increasing volume of papers to be preserved, has resulted in a demand for more simple methods--more scientific systems of filing. Those confronted with a practical solution of the problem, and those attempting to supply the demand, have devoted much time to a study of the subject. This has brought into being the filing expert who makes a study of the filing problems of concerns in all lines of business. The manufacturer has kept pace with the development, and now is prepared to furnish the right device for filing any document from a small card to the largest drawing or map. In this discussion of filing systems, it is not necessary to consider the obsolete methods, even though they have at some time been considered standard. The purpose of this discussion will be better served by a study of the more modern systems.