The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1910-05-20
ALL ABOUT THE HELLO GIRLS
LABOR COMMITS SIONER NELL OBSERVES THEM
lie Says There Is No Use Short Girls That the Companies Want
Girls Who Can Reach-Some Require Girls With
Calm, Clear Eye and Good Appetite

Iedh VI lHe iOuu, Siuc ledCu, up
reach" Jacks and split trick are
only few of the expressions that go
to make up the telephone girls busi-
ness Vocabulary.
The Commissioner finds also that
many o. the companies, especially the
New YC J. company is engaged in 4
system L.. welfare work among it's EN-
ployes" They have libraries and par
lors where the girls may lounge dur
ing the rest hours; also boat ride en-
cursions, theatre parties and art muse,
UNI parties under the supervision of a
competent teacher.
This uplft feature of the report
particularly the theatre party sugges-
ton, has made hit with the telephone
girls in this city, and the companies
that haven't got onto this wrinkle yet
are sure to be informed of it.
Some of the hello girls also may
want to know of their employers why
they aren't furnished with roof gardens
for lounging places. The Commission
er finds that some companies have such
gardens and he recommends that more
Of them be established. The Commits
SiOner hands out this compliment to
the girls: THE loyalty and esprit de
corps among telephone girls is greater
than IN any other industry in the
country"
Mr.. Neill takes the part OF the tele-
phone girls against a peeviSh public.
He says that the average switchboard
sirl has a hundred telephone call sig
nails to watch. AS each call comes in
light flashes on a signal cap. Many
signal lights glow simultaneously and
there is a clicking sound in the oper-
ator's ear every time the receiver is
moved up and down. With all this
confusion in front of her the hello gill
has to contend too with a supervisor
who stands behind her and calls our
the numbers to other operators when
she falls behind in her work. She is in
fear also of the monitor cutting in a.
any minute and reprimanding her.
Under the rules Of the companies she
please" no matter how much she is
abused. When the peevish party be-
gins to scold and asks why in thunder
alton he hasn't got his number, he is
delaying her with the other calls that
are coming in, and is not only lessen
ing his own chance of getting quick
service, but is delaying other people
and making it hard for the switch
board girl.
The Commissioner adds that if the
people who put off their morning tela-
phoning until 11.30 and their afternoon
telephoning until would only remem-
Der that these are the heaviest hours
of the day, the peaks of the load"
they would get better service and make
life easier for the girls.
Some of the hello girls may be sur
prised to know that spasms of rush"
that last for only a few minutes arc
regarded as fun by them.
They really enjoy the excitement
and exhilaration," says the Commits
sioner.
The Commissioner regards 225 calls
an hour as the breaking point of ef1ic-
iency for a girl, although she handles
sometimes as many as GOO calls an
hour.
The Commissioner has found that
92.7 percent of the hello girls are I'M
married or "conjugal condition I'M
known" 4 percent are married and 81
percent are widows.-New York Sun.