The Brinkley argus., 1909-01-08

| Southwestern Company does give effi cient service, as will be found if you will hold stop watch in your hand.
 when it will be discovered that what
 seems like minutes to you are really
 but few seconds.
 The operators in the employ of the Southwestern Company are, ss rule, residents of the town in which their occupation lies. They are members of highly respectable families. and they are selected with care and dis elimination and having ia view their possession of exceptinal intelligence and capability. They have undergone mental and educatio nal tests and haze sho VII an aptitude for the business in which they are engaged and they are governed by strict rules, from which they are not. knowingly. permitted to- deviate.
 As rule, it will be found that they are patient and obliging, but they, In common with the telephone user, are only human, and when human nature asserts itself, no matter who is right or who is wrong, there is pre- sented to the telephone management problem of no small proportions and not al- ways easy to solve.
 The pay of the efficient opperator is equal to. and in many cases in excess of, that of the women who work in the average department store. She is seated all the time she is at work: there are liberal periods of rest for her, and there is supervisor ready at all times to render her assistance. She lis provided with comforts and con- venience during her rest periods rarely accorded by other establishments to their female employees, and the whole attitude of the Company toward her is one of kindly interest and helpfulness. We desire to enter plea with the telephone user for the exercise of pa- tience and tolerance towards the tel ephons operator. What man would speak face to face with a young wom- an strar ger or otherwise. and indulge in language often heard over the tele phone1 If such persons would stop to reflect that at the end of the line is a young lady. refined and sensitive. so susceptible to unjust criticism that she has often been krown to burst into tears on account of this. there would more frequently occur a hesitancy eon the part of the aggrieved subscriber in giving expression to his feelings in language-often tboughtIessly severe and son etimes profane.
 And women. too. are not exempt ,ironthe charge ol being unduly i'm patient with the operators. No doubt exasperating things do occur in the endeavor to get service. but it can truly be said that in ninety nine cases out Of a hundred, the operator is trying to perform her duty conscientiously and efficiently. She is engaged in an an occupation the duties of which are at all times exacting and often nerve rackirg. and to add to her difficulties !. by inpatiently chiding her is unjust, if mot cruel
 It can be truthfully said that in the ls South chivalrc difference is usually Nshown on the part of male patrons to w ards the operators; not only this. but lit would prove revelation to the Igenesal public If on Christmas morn- ing, they rtnldssee the great prcfusion
 cf ssits sent to fhe central offices to bs disditnxd \ among lhs operators as | sS41t
 tokens of apprcoiaiion from pleased jcustplners.
 The fact remains. however. that numbers of people continue to give voice to their dissatisfaction by roast ing the operator. and 1t is to these
 we appeal to consider twice before
 giving audible veLtsto their impatience. Z Among your New Years promises Ito yo self resolve to be courteous and ' col s.c rate toward the operator at "Cs nt d." thus exsmplifying the |@GAd Rule" of doing unto others l az Sou would be done by. and at the
 san lne tbot only experience self
 satis acton at good deed we'll pre-