Theory and practice;

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VOL. IV NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 15, 1921 No. 11
Theory and Practice
THE everlasting argument which pur-ports
to bear on theory and practice
would, i f stripped of its disguise, probably
turn out to be a discussion on theory or
practice. Unfortunately the faithful array
themselves on either one side or the other.
One man boasts of being practical. He
scorns and criticizes the other fellow as
being too theoretical. He has no use for
theory. He claims to do the practical
thing which the situation calls for at the
time. But every once in a while he runs
across a situation which is new to him and
doesn't know what to do because he has no
theory upon which to fall back.
The theorist is too prone to disregard the
practical existence of conditions as they are.
One eminent theorist was continually
prescribing that conditions be changed in
order that system evolved from his theories
might work. The theorist is continually
confronted with the task of fitting the
proverbial square peg.
It should not be a question of theory or
practice but theory and practice. It is
time for the practical man and the theorist
to get together and learn that ideal pro­cedure
is the result of correct theory fol­lowed
by execution which is in conformity
therewith. Each blunders more or less be­cause
he fails in the realization of this im­portant,
principle.
Two thoughts which apply to theory and
practice are well expressed in a book en­titled
"How to Keep a Store" published in
1882 and written by Samuel H . Terry after
thirty years' experience in merchandising.
Mr. Terry says: "Experience is a good
teacher; but his school is a very expensive
one, and many of his lessons may be
economically and advantageously studied
in a book of this kind." Further, "The
most simple truths, too, sometimes fail of
their proper influence at first, because we
do not see how they apply to any contem­plated
action until we are taught by
experience."
There is apparently nothing new under
the sun. Reading, study, and research are
as essential today as they ever have been.
They constitute a necessary base for in­telligent
work. Much of their benefit is
lost, however, if the results are not applied
in a common sense way.
An ideal code of theory looking to the
successful completion of any piece of work
may be found in the following three rules:
First, Find out what you are after;
Second, Determine the methods to be
employed;