The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-17

known are left on the list. This list is
nearly as large as the front page Of The
Washington Herald, and the clerk must
search through all that printed matter TO
fine the occupation she is seeking. then
having made a mental note IF the four
symbols needed turns to the machine 10
put them In the proper position, but If
the search is fruitless she must put In
''ot~-other trade.
Among the forgotten callings are all
trades connected with electrical work
and autos Brokers and capitalists are
not TO be found. but one can get jour
nalist, but IL the schedule called the
party a newspaper man" woe betide
the clerk who uses the punch for jour
nalist-she must use "ot" a trained
nurse can be punched, but IL found in
hospital It is lot" A servant las a SYM
Dol, but domestic II cot" There is
only one machinist and no manufactor.
but lots OF works and foundries and
mills But a railroad must not be punch
ed for a railway. nor can one punch
dealer In coal and wood II the schedule
calls for a dealer in coal only. A miner
OF gold and silver cannot have the SYM
Dol Of the miner of gold. A doctor can
be punched. but an assistant doctor is
cot" A clerk was made to destroy many
cards for punching the symbol OF sales
woman when the schedule politely men
toned the person as saleslady. The
clerk who was ordered TO lot" all those
cards OF course obeyed orders. but she
made a few comments 10 the chief that
evidently travelled. for the day following
the matter was noted In red ink on the
list of occupation as being one and the
same The clerk was pleased at the vim
dication, but knew that the cards punch
ed under compuision were wrong. and
would all be thrown out. 10 her dis
credit.
This is one Of the real rasons for the
encouragement of the clerks. that the
style is not yet so firmly established as
to do way with difference of opinion as
to the correct way of punching these &C.
equations. Some occupations have an es-
tablished set of symbols four in num-
Der; others are in pairs, as laborer on
a farm has a straight away set Of four
punches, but a laborer on a railroad is
gotten By the two signs meaning laborer.
and then the other side Of the page tells
where; If railroad. KS would be added
TO the I5-5 that stood for laborer
AS a time waster and nerve racker FOR
an eager operator this system lis the
limit" Pure English is inadequate to
express the situation. Recourse for re-
lief must be had to slang. After one
worker had punched these railroad work
ers most OF the day in this troublesome
way, she was told II was all wrong. a:
railroad was not railway. according
10 the rule that said follow the letter o.
the schedule II one punches "ot" fol
trades Il is a great saving Of time, fol-
there is no condition as to wage. o
weeks OF work, in that case, so II ;
clerk had several hundred more cards 4
her credit than her neighbor, it doesn'
mean she is a better worker. but tina
she did not get the occupations, bu
used cot.
The amount Of work one can do varie
Win the fSBlon puuCHCu. Inv SAs SsAAO
: of the coasts, with the foreign populs
ton, are veritable heart-breakers.
4 Is borne In on the suffering clerk VIII
deals with every style of combination G
r nationality and tongue, that this Is In
: deed the melting pot of the world
( Also is she quite sure that in man
: towns everybody works. including fatf
( er In Camden. N J.. out Of 100 conset
I utive names eisfhty-seven were punches
5 One may be long way from sympath
J. with the votes fer women" cry; still
I is impressive TO find in the factory towr
J. so large a proportion of women wit
e trades listed as heads OF the house.
s woman can support the house, shoul
i she have a voice in national affairs? Or
e other thing is impressed with startlir
q force on the puncher, the truth In q
e hoTTid cry of race suicide. Out OF
n whole days work in far-away Sacrament
It Cal. there were not twenty childre
e the days work being about 500 names.
" It is quite easy to punch the record 4