Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
Work of Social Secretary.

interesting place and Its files contain vast
amount OF information concerning the pro-
gress OF the movement.
Work of Social Secretary.
1t has brought into existence new pro-
fession, in which DR. Josiah Strong. the
president. and DR.. William Howe Toiman.
it's director, are greatly interested Those
who enter this new profession are called
social secretaries
To some readers social secretary" may
suggest a young woman employed by So
ciety leader, aspirant to social emil
hence, whose duties are to keep track OF
social engagements. to do her employers
social correspondence and the like. But
the social secretary am now writing about
is of a different sort.
Sometimes-always when the employees
are all men-the social secretary Is man.
Sometimes-always when the employees are
all women and girls-the secretary is@a
woman. Some concerns with both men and
women employees employ social secretaries
of both sexes. Always the secretary Is
chosen because the employer thinks he has
found a person of tact, sympathy, intelli-
gence and alertness. One young man. en-
gagged by an iron founder as social secre-
tary, on asking about his duties, was in-
structed as follows:
Go about the works; get acquainted with
the men. Meet them while at work; meet
them out of hours. Find out IL they are
dissatisfied with anything. Tell me about 1t
and make suggestions as to what can be
done to take away the cause. When we
agree on what to do. you do It.
See What is Lacking.
Look over the various departments and
see what is lacking for the comfort of the
men. Make suggestions to me and carry
out whatever We agree upon. Take your
time; don't expect you to make your first
suggestion the first day."
But the first suggestion came the first day.
In the molding room the new secretary
noticed that the drinking water stood about
in wooden buckets and that the men had to
drink out Of the dippers. He also found
that the men had to buy their own ice, and
that 1t was the same in other departments
He suggested the purchase of a filter and
cooler for each department and that the
employer furnish the ice. The employer
slapped him on the back and told him to
provide the filters and coolers and arrange
for the ice supply at once. That was a
little thing. small In fact that the mill
owner had never thought of ii, but 1t tend
ed to bring him and his employees closer to-
gether and helped make the new social sec
retary's task of getting acquainted with the
employees easy. They all agreed that he
was good fellow with plenty of good sense
Profession is Growing.
No figures have been made showing how
many social secretaries of this sort are
now employed in this country, but the
profession Is a growing one. One big en-
ployer of thousands of men and women
employs eight. A big pickle maker has
for social secretary a qualified physician.
who looks after the health as we'll as the
comfort of the employees. A great western
mining and coke-making corporation has
two men. who, between them, visit regu-
larly every department of the company's
operations, which are stretched over an
irregular line nearly 100 miles in length.
Three or four years ago an employer of
women, having heard of the social secre-
tary idea, employed a woman In that ca
pacity at about $500 year. She had
plenty of tact ingenuity, sincerity and
sympathy; In a short time she was the
greatest faVorite around the establish
ment.
One of her first suggestions was that
the bare work room walls be decorated;
1t was done. Then she called for pictures;
they were furnished Rest rooms were
established; she won many personal con-
she comforted the girl employees
when they quarreled with their lovers;
she consoled them when real grief came
to them; she advised them as to their
dress; she restrained some who were be-
ginning to tread dangerous paths; she
cheered those inclined to the blues; she
stimulated those who were prone to shirk
their work. She acted as a real house.
mother" to the hundreds of women en-
ployed by the establishment.
Result. according to the employer: TT
wasn't long before the girls in my shop,
some OF whom were a slovenly, sulky
lot, began to look tidier than I had ever
known them to before in the place of
sullen faces there were smiling counte-
instead OF having to dock per-
centage of them for beginning their work
late. punctuality became the rule and,
better than everything else. there was
great Improvement both in the quality
and the quantity of the work. When that
social secretary had been working for me
three years l was paying her $1,000 a
year-she didn't ask 1T. but I raised her
salary from time to time-and when she
got ready to leave me I'd have given her
$4,000 year to remain"
Boxes for Suggestions.
The model home idea has been carried
to the greatest development In the middle
eral thousand men and women It has been
of exceptional help both to them and the
corporations they work for.
One of the social secretaries employed
there has charge of the model home, which
contains several rooms-kitchen, living
room, bed room. library and parlor All these
rooms are fully furnished and the price at
ture rug. picture, book or what not on ex-
hibltion may be purchased at the shops in
town is plainly indicated. Everything is
selected and arranged In excellent taste
the furnishings are frequently changed and
the secretary In charge is thoroughly in
formed In all the mysteries of home maxi
ing.
Women employees who feel able to add
something to the modest furnishings of
their little homes, wives of men employees
and young couples about to be married find
the model home a fascinating resort One
day the social secretary in charge noticed
that n couple of the employees who had
often visited 1t. both separately and to-
gether. were apparently rather cast down.
She asked questions and found that they
had figured It out that 1T would cost more
than their combined savings to furnish
little cottage and thought they must
postpone their marriage.
Was a True Matchmaker.
Being a true matchmaker, most true