The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-01-23
WOMEN REPLACE
R'Y TELEGRAP HLRS
TELEPHONES ARE TO BE USED IN
PLACE or TickERs.
REVOLUTION COMES MARCH rst
Much Correspondence Heretofore Car
ried on by Wire Will Now be
Sent by Mail--Unexpect-
ed Results.

washington, Jan. IA new nelu
OF employment for women is to be
opened by the railways. This does
not mean that the roads will employ
women telegraphers, but on the con-
trary their employment will pe for
the purpose of taking the place of tel
egraphers already in the service. The
future woman railway operating EN-
ploye will be engaged at the smaller
stations, taking train orders over a
telephone, where formerly such or
ders were transmitted and received
by telegraph. This new field will be
open to women when the new nine
hour day law governing the working
time of railway telegraphers goes into
effect on March |.
II was confidently expected that
this law would work a revolution in
railway operation. and it was with
this end in view that the Order of
Railway Telegraphers procured its
passage, despite the determined op-
position of the railway managers and
even against advice direct from the
White House. The revolution is COM
ing. all right, but 1t will be revolu-
tion which will relegate the telegraph
TO back seat as an adjunct to railway
operation and will throw thousands of
operators out of employment and an
nually will decrease their number
until they will almost disappear from
American railways.
II was expected that the reduction
In the working hours of railway tele-
graphers to nine hours would compel
the railroads to employ at least 5000
additional men at once. 1T was also
known that 1t would be impossible to
secure this number of men when need
ed, and 1t was therefore hoped by the
men 'tiiat an increase In wages would
be a part of the revolution planned
Changes TO Result.
The railway managers at first took
a similar view of the situation, but it
soon was discovered that it would be
impossible to supply the demand il
all existing telegraph offices were TO
be maintained after March l. Z AS a
result of careful study OF the situa-
ton the nine-hour day for telegraph
ers will bring about the following
cbanges:
l. The, abandonment of all sta
tions as telegraph stations except
division headquarters and functional
points.
2. The substitution of telephones
for the receipt and the transmission
of orders and messages
3. The employment of women as
agents in many stations thus trans.
formed into telephone stations.
4. The transaction of a tremen-
dous amount of Office business by let
ter which formerly was transacted
by telegraph.
5. The rapid extension of the au-
. tomato electric olock signal system,
which will make telegraph stations
unnecessary.
In determining to inaugurate these
changes the railway managers found
that they had in reality been preparing
for them for years. 1t was discovered
also that by adopting the most expen-
sive system Of block signaling train
orders and telegraph stations could
for the greater part be done away
with.
Curtails Use of Wires.
In facing this seeming crisis. the
railroad managers also realized that
custom has grown up in every gen.
eral Office of transacting an immense
ampunt of business by wire. 1t is a
constant temptation to put things on
the wire instead OF taking the trouble
TO write( and to send letter. Des-
pite the liberal allowances of free
service. the wire method of transact
ing business, is an expensive one. 1t
has therefore been decided to corrct
this tendency and to force Office busi-
ness TO take its natural channel and
be done by natural methods.
The commercial use of the tele.
phone, however, will do away with
the necessity OF telegraph. Nearly
all of the business OF the New York
Central roads is now transacted by
phone. communication between New
York and Chicago being instantan-
eous and perfect.
SIOUX CITY SAY S NO.