The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-16

drudge, or constantly changing about
in the vain hope each time that tho
change may be for the better. -
Unrest Among Stenographers. -
People outside Of the city hear
about the constant demand for stem
ographers in New York; if they could
catch a glimpse of the hundreds of
unemployed women who throng the
office of one typewriter company ev-
cry morning they might change their
minds about this. Perhaps one cause
OF the prevalent opinion that stenog-
raphers are very much in demand
here is the fact that there is constant
unrest in the. stenographic world.
The workers are continually leav~
, ing their places and seeking else-
where, only to repeat the performance
when the" new place has, in it's turn,
become unbearable. 1t might be in
teresting to know why this is so.
A fact to be noted first of all in re-
gard to this phenomenon is that it is
not the careless, incompetent and I'M
educated stenographers who are con-
tinually cddying about in this un-
settled way, but the superior class of
workers, the educated, conscientious,
intelligent, thoughtful women, who
make it Il point to know their bust
ness and are there to perform it. This
is the class of women who do keen
their places.
This, too, is p the class of women
who after time become anxious to
get out Of stcnography and the bust
ness world altogether, and get into
some other line of work that will take
them as far away from it rs possible.
The main reasons for this arc as fol-
lows.
Low Pay; Careless Employers.
First Of all, as have said, it is ex-
tremcly difficult to get place that
pays any sort Of respectable salary.
|Trhe:little eighteen-yearold New York
girl who lives with her parents finds
it about all she can do to dress and
buy lunches and car fare on the
salary that is paid her. What then
is the girl to do who is entirely de-
pendent upon herself, and las to
pay for board and lodging at New
York rates?
The superior woman stenographer
hears that there is IL great call for
educated and conscientious workers
i'll New York and she hastcns here
only to find that her class is entirely
swamped by the overwhelming num-
bcrs Of illiteratc, and often careless
and empty-headed Young girls, most
of them having homes in the city, who
are glad to work for $6, 81 and $S
week.
She finds, moreover, that the aver
aye New York business man is not
penetrating enough to distinguish be-
tween her and the members of this
latter class; and that even If he did
he would not be inclined to give her
any preference, as he himself is usual
ly most sadly lacking in education; !;
and since he does not know enough to
use good English himself, or write II
properly constructed letter, he can
scarcely be expected to know whether
his stenographer does so or not.
What he requires is rapidity, the
ability, in fact, to do two person s
work, and if the applicant is very
rapid, both in her stcnography and
her typewriting, she may perhaps get
business position that is fairly re-
munerativo. But unfortunately many
such business positions are accompa-
MED by grave disadvantages.
Lower Pay: Better Surroundings.
The Office is probably noisy and
dirty and constantly invaded by men
who smoke vile Tobacco, wear their
hats, trangress every rule of grammar;
and plentifully sprinkle their convcr-
sation with slang and profanity. If
they have occasion to address her they
do so in an offhand, impcrsonal way
MS, though she were a machine put
there for general use, or in person.
al way that is Infinitely more offens-
i've. .....
On the other hand, if our stcnog-
raphcr finds that she cannot stand
this atmosphere, and takes a place in
the editorial department Of some pub
| Iol, L.