The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-03
Sunset Telephone Company Takes
Exception To Charges.
OPERATORS WORK EIGHT HOURS
Are Said TO he Well Paid for Their
Labor, the Average Wages Being
$50 Per Month-Is Acknowledged
That service Was Miserable Dur
rial improvements Contemplated.

In a letter published In another column
Of todays Post-Inielligencer physician
Of this city gives reasons. as they ap-
pear 70 hir1. for the faulty service OF the
local telephone exchange.
An official OF the company 20 whom the
substance q tho charges was related yes
terday denies them IN toto. During the
Nome rush he said there was an sx-
tremey heavy demand for telephone ser-
vice resulting in n congestion OF calls.
The average daily number OF switches,
he said, was between ts 900 and 5000 but
ettheheight OF the Nome excitement there
were frequently as many as 60 900 or an
unexpected increase OF about 70, 90 calls.
To make matters worse, he said, fifteen
Of the operators took sick during the rush
with n sort OF epidemic OF grip which went
over the whole city The service since
the rush 10 the gold fields has abated
somewhat. he says. has given general
satisfaction, and very few complaints are
being received at present.
The charge that the operators were sub
jscted to a severe nervous strain he. de-
scribed as an exasgeration. Almost every
thing. ne stated. was done automatically
the operator simply having TO get the
number wanted and make the connection.
In regard TO the length of the days
work. he said that the operators went on
duty In the morning at a certain time
worked two hours, rested fifteen minutes
worked two hours more, had another rest
Of thirty-five minutes. worked two hours.
rested ten minutes, and then we're on
duty another two hours more. after which
their work was ended. This made the
sotuhl time on duty for each operator
e9ht hours, the system giving satisfac-
ti6n 20 all. I'VE admit that the service.
was miserable during the Nome rush"
he said. but we take vigorous exception
70 the mistatementt made regarding the
long hours we compelled our operators to
work There r. one thing we do that is
not known to most OF those who attack
W, we furnish n free lunch In our dining
room 10 the operators, which In In charge
Of matron employed solely for that pur-
pose
at has been said that the Spokane rate
Ia fnuch cheaper than ours ana that the
operators there received higher wages
than those here. but the statement Is
incorrect. Their rates and wa yes are tust
the same az ours. For the class n work
performed by the operators their WAGES
are the best woman can get"
The company refused To discuss the
.xac' amount Of wages paid to operators.
but one of the employees stated that oft
o. the eighty-two young women In charge
II the operating room. thirty received 100
month. and the others between s25 and
~ making general average of slightly
over sa0
Furthermore. she said, the operators
were all under twenty years Of age, and
could not get higher wages anywhere else
In the city for the same Kind Of work
Domestic service, she continued. was the
alton, but few were willing TO enter the
HE. May Of the girls. she said were not
alogether dependent on their own Efforts
for living. but worked to make things
more comfortable at home.
A Post inteliisencer reporter was shown
through the large room occupied by the
eshty-two operators.
They work Ia pairs. one answering tho
call the other ringing up the number
called for. The switches are In two dI-
visions, each Under the charge Of an as
tty.slx girls ut the main board, while six
have charge Of an overflow board. which
e used when business becomes very
brisk. At a separate board Is the opera
TOR who answers 20 the coll ~ Maia Gna
A monitor occupies desk In the center
OF the room, and sees that there Is no
unnecessary conversation carried IN over
the line
The company Is preparing TO enlarge its
plants, lVc now switches having arrived
= few lays nEo. They will be nut IN
service as quickly as possible In ths last
I'VE weeks. ais new students have entered
the employ ~ the company. and ara he
ms educated tul operators free Of charge
a., IL ne cVst"m 81 the organization.
are prnrtlcirg for positions, apd viii b@
qua ~ work when they are more expert
az the euHinosF further increase %
Operators e. expected, bringing he CON
,smlia' y addition To tho force M To
supeunt.ndcnt r. e. Milford when ap-
froAch"a bN he reporter refused ~ dts
cus tha lottNr referred o.. hat spnks ~
lse prog .srA 'nlurove,nent II The sorviro
lite esprs sr' o nleslf strongly. however
60 INC eteicr0n made by resident "
eeatte tha The 0per3tnrs could ant toad
decent lives nn their ollrRgi sman wagaa
The company hr said requires the
heheHt rrcowmn njatlnna from people an
assured s'audinR testtfvinr e. she char
sstsr Il an applicant before she IS en-
nloyrd hF us The statement was utterly
urraltci FOR