The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08

and they expect 10 secure privileges withheld
from the other clerks II has been said, also,
that the women do not take kindly 10 working
overtime when extra work Is required and that
In many instances, they are less pain stalking in
the performance OF their duties than they should
be-
On lower Broadway are the headquarters Of .
shorthand and typcwriting bureau which has
several branch offices in this city and has employed
regularly large number Of women stenog raphers
and typewriter operators Concerning the reports
about the undesirablity Of women for places in
the Governments service, the woman in charge OF
thcbureau said:
1T should not be inferred by the announcement
Of the Washington officials that women stenog
raphers ore, as rule, lees competent to perform
their duties than men. Neither should any one
tunl and obligng and less submissive 10 the dis
cipiine expected OF them than are their professional
brothers The fact is have for the last ten year.
women Of my profession, and have had an oppor-
tunity 10 observe their traits and 10 Judge of their
employ stenographers and typewriters Of both
sexes. although most Of our assistants are women
can say, in all ruthfulness, that my experience
with women in this work warrants my belief that
they are. in every essential, as valuable 10 their
employers as men, and in some respects they are
TO be preferred. ! mean that they ore more con-
sclentious about their work than most OF their
male competitors. II is very seldom indeed that
Of a similar sort unless she feels herself fully
competent 10 do tho work properly. II we assign
one Of our women 70 given duty we ere morally
certain that she VIII give good satisfaction. hen
her transcript is rendered il will be faithful re-
production OF what took place In other words
women ore not SO likely To attempt more than
they can master as are some OF the men know.
With reference 10 punctuality and their willing
ness TO accommodate | can say that women DIS
count men five times out Of six We never have
the slightest doubt 10 what time our women
will be on hand in the morning, and II q rush OF
aNt tn ha
attended TO whchwill necessitate working overtime
no grumbling or complai int is ever heard from
set about their duties chccriully and in business
like way. and they rarely ask privileges which
light interfere with The requirements Of The Office,
They are methodical and peIsevering, and thoughts
Of bicycle rides and ma,nees never prevent them
from attending strictly TO business,
raphers ought 10 be determined to make their
services valuable They realize very keenly
that unless they are able 70 prove sGncusiY n
male competitors they will have poor change OF
making much progress in their profession. They
TO q large extent, the sentiment against women
as co-workers with men in business Offices has
not YET hen W IN 9,ae5 " tb theip
male contemporaries they always Try to be sub
missive and obedient and TO do their work in the
a woman who conducts q we'll known school
in this city from which scores of women stenog-
raphers and typcwriters are sent out every year.
70 act as amanuenses:
The movement against these employees is
difficult 10 account for ordinary grounds In
the last ten years women have proved that they
can fill many places OF responsibility as occept-
ably as men, and that is as true of stenographers
as Of women in other pursuits II is lamcntablo
fact that many young women who have con-
tcmplatcd studying shorthand have been wrongly
advised, and that Still more have been very badly
trained while preparing themselves for steno-
graphic work. Young men, also. have SUI
fered severely from the same cause but the effect
more injurious 10 women than 10 men. Long
observation has convinced me that women con-
form 10 the discipline and to the business require
ments Of an Office with much readiness, every
bit, as do men. Indeed, in some instances, |
know that they withstand unComplainingly many
restrictions which are not usually imposed upon
the other In our school the young women
are told frequently that they must not expect,
and will not receive when they get into business
houses, any more consideration from their en-
ploycrs than is accorded TO men: and they leave
school with that idea planted firmly in their minds
1t is well 10 remember one thing which may have
an important bearing upon the movement against
Unless person becomes proficient in shorthand
writing w hen she is young, that is 10 say. under
%, the chances are strongly against her ever
becoming so. | have noticed this in q large mum.
Der Of cases After one gets TO be 80 the task OF
learning the trade thorough is greatly increased
that age become expert II some Of tho women
who have been criticised at Washington or in the
municipal Offices OF Chicago belong 10 the fra
ternty Of late learners II is not surprising that
they haven't retained their places But il is q
mistake 10 Judge the many by the few. l am
generally is favorable to the women who write
shorthand"