A Store of Memories

Percy Maddox was a Vancouver librarian.

From a family of managers of the Robert Simpson Company and successors came George Allan Burton, born in 1915, who has now written an autobiography, A Store of Memories.

Burton starts, logically, at the beginning, but is extremely detailed about his family. He dwells unduly on his formative years, even trying to spice up the story, and his narrative gives the usual impression of how much fun the rich have.

With the high schools every year graduating thousands into joblessness, in 1932, at 17, Burton worked at Simpson’s. In 1934, when the United States was groaning with millions of unemployed and teenagers were unwelcome, he went to New York, thinking to be hired at $30 a week. He was not entitled to work there, yet he was hired, and his employer, who knew he was there illegally, paid him fifteen dollars a week when he would have been lucky to get ten. He was so used to having money that he would pay a dollar of his meagre salary to go to a movie. In 1935 he again had no difficulty obtaining employment at Simpson’s. Two years later, as the Depression continued and unemployment worsened, he left for prearranged employment in England. At this time Burton was 22, as was his fiancé, who also was working. A year later they returned to Toronto, again both working, and they married — at a time when other young people were struggling to obtain a first job.

In spite of all these personal details, the lucid narrative flows easily and takes us through Burton’s growing up and early adulthood and then through World War II, in which he distinguished himself, after which he returned to Simpson’s.

From here on the book tells us about the fortunes of the company and the formation of Simpson’s-Sears. We learn that Mr. Burton was also called to be on boards of other companies and in public concerns. He became president of the Toronto Board of Trade.

Readers who stick with this book will gain an enlightening insight into big business in Canada.