Page:Graphic methods for presenting facts (1914).djvu/326

 It is sometimes desirable to have the chief facts relating to a business plotted on wall charts which are instantly visible in a conference room. Fig. 219 was photographed in the record room which adjoins the directors' room of Day and Zimmermann, of Philadelphia. On the swinging-leaf fixtures a series of curves are plotted giving all the salient facts relating to a group of public-service corporations. Though this type of wall chart is in many cases desirable, there are limitations to the use of wall charts because the number of charts cannot be sufficiently increased to give all the detailed information which is usually necessary. Wall charts are suitable chiefly to furnish summarized information to directors or other men whose time is limited or who come to an office only at rare intervals.

Wall exhibits of curves can sometimes be used with satisfactory results if special care is taken to draw the curves on a very large scale and arrange them on all four walls of a room. A prominent financier of New York City is said to have a large room, on the top floor of his residence, where the walls are completely covered with curve charts on which points are plotted as rapidly as data can be obtained. This man is so limited for time that he keeps in touch with general financial conditions by referring to the charts in this room for only a brief time each evening. He disappears to his reference room to meet his private secretary immediately after dinner. In the center of the room is a revolving desk chair with an ash tray fastened to one arm. For the length of one cigar the financier sits in his chair slowly revolving the chair until he has covered the information given on all of the wall charts, perhaps, if necessary, asking a few brief questions of his secretary. Though very little of the financier's time is taken, he is able by concentrated thought on the facts shown by his wall charts to keep in full touch with world finance and to map out his own plans for future operation.