The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-07-28
THE TELEPHONE GIRL
PAY AND CHANCES OF CAPABLE
EXCHANGE ElIPLoYE-
Education, Sight, Hearing and Votes
of First Importance in Equip
ment for Such Fo-
sition.


The manager of a telephone central
exchange was asked what prospect OF
Advancement a girl had when she en-
cred the service of the company, re-
Jorts the New York Sun.
"a girls progress depends altogeth-
II on>herself, on her ability" he re-
,lied. "Ineficiency, even # backed by
he president of the United States. has
10 show here.
ITO begin with. in selecting appli-
ANTS for the telephone exchange, We
make the requirements more and
more difficult Girls who passed mus
er when the concern was in its in
'ancy wouldn't stand the least chance
:o-day.
I'm brief, we now demand a gram
mar school education. first-class sight
md hearing, a good voice and enuncia-
ion. A bad or slovenly accent must
De corrected before a girl can get en-
ployment in one Of our exchanges.
IF the head Of the training school
sees possibilities in an applicant she
IS taken on trial for a week, at the
End of which she is either discharged
,r told that she is regularly entered
,or the full course of training Eight
zen is the age limit now. for after
hat 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 refined manner
and neat appearance.
Nov, 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 are much more experienced, and
with supervisor at her back
Sometimes at first she will only
take a wire at an hour when traffic is
light, and the girl who is usually in
mat place viii stand at ner back ana
see that she doesn't get ratified The
girls who get on fastest are those who
are least nervous end not easily CON
fused.
From the time she makes her debut
in an exchange an operators progress
toward the maximum price paid to OPP
srators-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 abb
sent and that she is paid 81 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
q complication. A supervisor is paid
$14 week
Sat the head of the supervisors is
a chief operator. who draws from SIS
to s35 a week, according to the length
of her service. The supervisors ara
really her lieutenants, and she Is re
+. possible for their doings as well a.
FOR those of the operators. Chief OF
orator is about as high as a woman
can go in this business.
~The next higher post IS manager
which must be filed by man. ane
one who has taken q practical courss
in electricity
Occasionally an operator Will get J.
lob at a private switchboard, where
If she proves valuable, she may Il
time get ais much pay as a SUPERVISE
or a chief operator.