STENOGRAPHERS, TYPISTS, AND COMPTOMETRISTS 97 
mdustry, with its enormous payrolls and extensive cost 
systems, is well aware of the importance of this particular 
'tern. For this reason it is very important that comp 
tometrists have, in addition to their mechanical knowledge, 
a knowledge of fundamental arithmetic, as determined by 
the arithmetical test described. 
The test in comptometry itself must necessarily be based 
largely on the kind of comptometry to be done or the 
kind of practice which the individual has had. The work 
ln connection with which these experiments were con 
ducted involved very little division, and consequently, 
m °st emphasis was placed upon addition and multipli 
cation. Care must be taken in all cases to establish tests 
^hich will not lay too much value upon the specific abil- 
lt Y of an individual at a specific moment. For instance, 
some schools, knowing the little use to which division 
ls put, spend very little time teaching division to their 
pupils. It does not follow that these pupils would not 
Quickly learn division if properly instructed, but unless 
te sts discriminate carefully, it is quite possible to reject 
an operator, fair in other respects, but poor for the time 
^ e >ug, in division. This is a matter which must be de 
termined from a practical rather than an experimental 
standpoint. If the industry wants thoroughgoing experts 
f once, a complete test should be given. If the industry 
' s satisfied to take operators who are not entirely expert 
cut who promise well, less emphasis should be placed 
° n a complete and perfect comptometry test and more 
° n the tests which indicate an individual’s aptitude or 
P°tentiality. The arithmetical test discussed is one 
test which serves this purpose. Another is the numerical 
substitution test. This test bears virtually the same re 
lation to the work of comptometrists which the mixed