The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-13
STREET CAR MEN.
How Applicants for
Positions Are Elk.
amined.
CONSOLIDATED is EASY.
Employees Are Not De-
lighted With Con-
ditions.
CONSOLIDATED is EASY.

New employment rules have been
adopted by nearly all of the trolley
lines of the country during the past
few months, which require that all APP
plicants for positions must be put
through a careful examination before
they are taken into the employ of the
company.
Although the rules of the different
companies vary, they are becoming
more and more severe each year. On
the Worcester and Suburban line the
applicant must be accepted by the SUI
perintendent and then he is sent to the
doctor to be put through an examina-
ton in regard to eyesight and hearing.
He must be able to read letters al dis
lance of 20 feet, and is also given a
bundle of yarn of various colors The
examining physician then picks up one
of the colors and tells the applicant to
pick out all similar colors in the bundle.
While he is doing this he is also being
examined for hearing. After the eX-
animation is over-a report is sent to the
office, and if it is satisfactory he is sent
to the car barn at Millbury and put to
work there for week and becomes
familiar with the workings of the mo-
tors and general mechanism of the car.
The time required to familiarize a
man with the intricacies of the ma
chinery all depends upon his ability,
and in some cases men are ready to
be turned out in three days, but are
obliged by the rules of the road to re-
main there one week at the least, and
more if the foreman of the barn wishes.
Then he is put on a car with another
motorman, where he remains for a
week, learning the different stops and
bad places along the line After he
has served his time on the road he is
turned in to the assistant superintend-
ent of the road, John T. Bannister, who
puts his name on the spare list in the
lobby.
The conductors on this line are more
fortunate and are required to work on
ly week before they are turned in for
duty. When one is turned in he re-
ceives a check punch and an employees
badge from the inspector and then his
name Is put on the spare list for work
On the Worcester & Webster road the
examination for applicants is much
more severe than on the Suburban, and
the applicant must ( ass an examination
nearly as severe as the requirements
for the regular army. Having passed
these preliminaries, he is given a bond
to fill out, and is also required to de
post $40 with his application, which
remains in the Office until ne is giver
work or until he witndraws his appli-
cation. All of the applicants are re-
CURED to be experienced men and must
present good recommendations from
their former place of employment A
set of questions are also given the APP
| plicant, and he is required to fill them
out accurately and truthfully. He is
| also made to sign q document to the
effect that in case Of accident the
company will not be responsible for any
| injury that he may receive while in
their employment. The road will be
opened Aug. 10. All of the motormea
on this division must weigh 1855 pounds
at the least, and all applicants are
weighed when being examined to pre-
went errors.
In New York the applicants are re-
CURED to be feet inches in height,
and must weigh at least 116 pounds
The average is placed at about $50
pounds The men must be healthy
have good eyesight and be of sober and
industrious habits. Most of the men
taken on are clerks, statesmen or agents,
and are expected to be polite, energetic
and agreeable young men. During the
past week one Of the companies in New
York have employed 1887 new men, an
average of about 200 a day, caused by
the recent strike. At present the COM
pany employs about 1O,50G men, of
which $500 are motormen and conduct
ors, the others beirg employed along
the line in power houses and in offices.
The Worcester Consolidated Street
Railway Company is perhaps the only
road in this vicinity which does not
require the applicant to pass an exam
nation before he is taken into their
employ. This particular road has had
better luck than any other in this vi
cinity. All applications for work must
be received on Thursday mornings, and
the applicant must appear in person at
the company's office on Market street
The superintendent, John N. Akarman,
looks him over, and if he thinks that he
is a good man for the road he is put
to work There is no regular schedule
as to the size and weight of the men.
The Worcester and Marlboro road
also has a civil service examination
which they put their men through be-
fore they are taken into their employ.
The motormen are required to be ex-
perienced men, and must weigh over
1856 pounds. They are also required to
have references from their former place
of employment, and give the reason
why they left the employ Of the COM
pany.
One of the employees of the Console
dated road told a Spy man that he had
been in the service of the road for the
past nine years, and that he did not
believe in the present system of exam
lining applicants before they were ta-
ken into the service of the road. He
said that because a man weighed 225
pounds, it did not prove that he would
be better man on the front end of
car than a man that weighs so or rs
pounds less. LAS long as l have been
on this road said he, IT have had oc-
casion to ride with nearly every man
on the line. and l can truly state that
in most every case the smaller men are
the best drivers"
An employee Of the Worcester and
Suburban road also told a Spy man a
different version of the new rules of
examining the applicants. He said
There are many roads in this vicinity
having men in their employ who have
been faithful to the company during
the service on the road, and 1t may be
that the officials wish to dispose of
them in an easy manner. They watch
every chance, but find none; then
comes the new orders that all appli-
cants must be put through an examina-
ton test. After the test is completed
you will always find that it is these
men that fail to pass the examination
Then again, applicants coming to the
offices are disposed of in the same man
ner by telling them that they failed to
pass the examination.
The Worcester and Blackstone VAL
ley line is also under the same control
as the Suburban and all of the appli-
cants are obliged to go through the
same test as those on the Suburban.
The man who thinks he can sing and
who is not requested TO sing will sing
II You are able to sleep we'll these
nights do not grumble at the heat in the
daytime.