Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-31
GIRL.
PAY AND CHANCES OF CAPABLE
EXCHANGE EMPLoYE.
Education, Sight, Hearing and Voico
OF First Importance in Equip
ment for Such Z Po-
= - y >*.5i~ ssitfon- b

The manager OF a telephone central
exchange was asked what prospect of
advancement a girl had when she en-
tered the service of the company. re-.
ports the New York Sun,
"A girls progress depends altoeeth.
or on herself, on her ability" he re.
piled. "Ineficiency, even II, backed nv
the president Of the United States, has
no show here; a
TO begin with. in selecting applt
cants for the telephone exchange. wa
make the requirements more and
more difficult Girls who passed mus.
ter when the concern was in its in
fancy wouldn't stand the least chanca
to-day.
In brief, We now demand a gram
mar school education, tirst-class sight
and hearing, good voice and enuncia.
lion. A bad or slovenly accent must
be corrected before a girl can get en-
ployment in one Of our exchanges.
III the head Of the training school
sees possibilities in an applicant she
is taken on trial for & week, at the
END OF which she is either DISCHARGED
or told that she is regularly entered
1or the full course of training. Eight
cen Is the age limit now, for after
that age it is found that young wom-
an does not learn so readily, and a
factor which also counts high in an
applicants favor is a refined manner
and neat appearance.
Now, about her progression. When
she leaves the training school she be-
gins at five dollars a week, and is
placed naturally at one of the least
busy telephones, and between two girls
who arc much more experienced. and
with a supervisor at her back.
sometimes at first she will only
take wire at an hour when traffic is
light, and the girl who is usually in
that place will stand at her back and
see that she doesn't get ratified. The
girls who get on fastest are those who
are least nervous and not easily con-
fused
Prom the time she makes her debut
IN an exchange an operators progress
toward the maximum price paid to Oh
erators-ten dollars a week-depends
entirely on herself. Some get there
In less than two years; others take
longer.
after she gets there? Well, she
may become senior operator, which
means that she is practically an under
study for the post of supervisor, able
to take the latter's place if she is alb.
sent. and that she is paid $11 a week.
In every telephone exchange there is
one supervisor to every nine girls
that Is, one woman who stands or
walks just back Of the operator, ever
at hand to give aid or straighten out
complication. A supervisor is paid
$14 week.
AT the head of the supervisors is
chief operator, who draws from SIS
to $25 a week, according to the length
OF her service. The supervisors arc
really her lieutenants, and she is re.
sponsible for their doings as we'll as
for those of the operators. Chief OPP
orator is about as high as a woman
can go in this business.
"The next higher post is manager.
which must be filled by a man, and
one who has taken practical course
in electricity.
occasionally an operator will get a
job at private switchboard, where,
If she proves valuable, she may in
time get as much pay as a supervisor
or chief operator