Editors and writers have been selected because of their familiarity with, and experience in handling various subjects pertaining to Commerce, Accountancy, and Business Administration. Writers with practical business experience have received preference over those with theoretical training; practicability has been considered of greater importance than literary excellence. In addition to covering the entire general field of business, this Cyclopedia contains much specialized information not heretofore published in any form. This specialization is particularly apparent in those sections which treat of accounting and methods of management for Department Stores, Contractors, Publishers and Printers, Insurance, and Real Estate. The value of this information will be recognized by every student of business. The principal value which is claimed for this Cyclopedia is as a reference work, but, comprising as it does the material used by the School in its correspondence courses, it is offered with the confident expectation that it will prove of great value to the trained man who desires to become conversant with phases of business practice with which he is unfamiliar, and to those holding advanced clerical and managerial positions. In conclusion, grateful acknowledgment is made to authors and collaborators, to whose hearty coöperation the excellence of this work is due. Table of Contents (For professional standing of authors, see list of Authors and Collaborators at front of volume.) VOLUME II PURCHASING AND STORES DEPARTMENT _By James B. Griffith_ Page 11 Lists of Dealers──Catalogue Filing and Indexing──Special Quotations──Department Routine──Requisitions──Purchase Orders── Receipts and Invoices──The Stores Department──Organization──Taking Inventory──Installing a Stores System──Record Files──Materials and Supplies──Parts and Finished Stores──Machinery and Equipment Records RECORDS OF LABOR AND MANUFACTURING ORDERS _By James B. Griffith_ Page 65 Labor Records──Wage Systems──Day Wage──Piece Rates──Premium Systems──Efficiency Systems──Time─Keeping Systems──Time Clocks──Production Time Records──Time Cards──Mechanical Time Recorders──Piece─Work Records──Production Orders──Shop Orders──Order Register──Tracing the Order GENERAL EXPENSE _By Chas. E. Hathaway_ Page 127 Expense Distribution──True Cost──Selling Expense──Methods of Distribution──The Man─Hour─Rate Method──The Machine─Hour─Rate Method──The Percentage Method──Productive and Non─Productive Labor──Expense and Production Cost Ledgers──Departmental Expenses──General Expense──How to Use Percentages──Operating Expense Statements──What the Statement Should Show──Comparative Figures──General Expense Statements──Charts COST SUMMARIES _By James B. Griffith_ Page 165