The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16

there are any number OF girls turned out OF
commercial colleges whom / wouldn't have
in my Office. / think possibly the wrong
woman In an Office would be more obnox-
fous than the wrong man. but a business
woman or some experience, who mas recon-
mendations and appears TO be refined and
self-respecting, is a safer proposition than
a young man of the same experience and
with the same credentials.
"One or the greatest surprises TO me Is
that the young women are closer-moutneo
than the young men. That's contrary 10 all
tradition; but I've watched closely and I've
inquired and talked the matter~ over with
persons ma position to know. The woman
seems TO be only too glad TO drop the Of
fee when she. gets away from 1t. She goes
to a home and home interests. Probably the
women of her family and her intimate
friends aren't in the slightest degree inter-
ested in business matters, so she doesn't
talk shop TO them. She doesn't talk II 10 her
men friends, because. If she has any sense,
she knows that isn't the sort OF thing a
man likes in a woman. and every normal
woman wants masculine admiration.
THE YOUNG MEN TALK.
Now our young men go to clubs and
cafes, and are with other fellows who are
all in business, and they are sure to talk
shop. I've had any amount of annoyance
from the indiscretion of my clerks. A
bookkeeper, If he is intelligent, can keep
fSAJ SlOSc tdo O1 ms SLnpAONSi > lldiAS,
and he ought to be as mute as an oyster,
but it is astonishing how often he likes to
show off his knowledge. So far as I can
find out. the girls keep their mouths shut.
They certainly do here in this factory.
i've heard il said that women are lack
ing in a business sense of honor and OBJ
legation. Shouldn't wonde if that used to
be a part of my creed: but I've recanted.
The man who started that fable had. as /
said a while ago, been studying the women
of his family and set. He hadn't known the
modern business woman in her business re-
lations. I'm rapidly coming to the con-
clusion that women nave more conscience
and a finer sense OF honor in business re-
lations than men. Those girls in there are
certainly more scrupulouS than any set of
young men L ever had in the same place.
women have so much intuitiVe tact, too.
You may think that doesn't cut much figure
in bookkeeping, but a senior bookkeeper
needs a lot of il. A woman manages her
juniors well, and she smooths everybody
else in the office the right way. That senior
or mine handles the cash, signs checks and
all that sort Of thing. You should see her
when 1t comes to a question OF what ac-
counts shall be settled, first and of handling
men. When a man comes in I'm a bad tenn
per I just let her have a so at him first.
When [ get him he's a lamb"
ID You pay the women as much as you
paid the men?' asked the reporter.
well, yes; / do now. l didn't at first,
and it isn't customary to pay a woman
bookkeeper as much as a man would get
for the same work. That's all wrong, but
IL is a part of the old prejudice, and it is
wearing off, as the efficiency and value OF
the woman bookkeepers are better known
and understood. / know of women who are
getting $500 a year for bookkeeping, and
81, 200 salaries for women are very COM
mon nowadays, though they were unusual
five years ago. You see a woman has had
to fight the sex handicap, and the only
way she could do it was by working for
less than she was worth; but, as her
position grows more assured she can be
more independent"
Are there many women in the field?"
Hundreds; thousands; and yet there
aren't as many women applicants for book
keeping places as there were. The supply
in quality. That is due to the stenography
craze. There are plenty of splendid women
S~tenOgraphers and typewriters, but the
ordinary place of that sort doesn't require
SO high a degree of intelligence and char
acter as a responsible bookkeeper's place.
and doesn't entail so hard work. More
over, it doesn't require so much practical
and Objectionable woman worker has slid
eff into stenography and typewriting, anG
the bookkeeping ranks are cleared of
her.
They seem to be a quite dignified set,
the women bookkeepers, and they are I'M
questionably gaining ground in the business
world every year. I'm willing TO bet that
nine out of ten men who are employing
them will tell you that, for honesty, tenn
rerance, tact, conscience, neatness, anna
bility, and the art of holding her tongue.
the average woman bookkeeper can give
the average man bookkeeper points and
still win out"