Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-11-11


small exchange station, and finally, if
he attends to business and takes a
pride in making his exchange a model.
where all calls are handled with the
least possible delay and complaint, he
is rewarded by being made the actual
and direct head of one of the largest
exchanges. The salaries of managers
range from $4,000 to $4,000 a year.
Their reputation is in their own
hands; for they are the sole respon-
stble heads Of the exchanges. having
the employment and control of all en-
ployees and being subject only to the
rafic chief.
The next promotion is a big one, be-
ing to traffic chief itself. He is the
immediate superior of all exchange
stations managers in a large district,
such as the old city OF New York, or
Brooklyn, or New Jersey. This man is
the executive director of all traffic
business and calls his exchange man
ayers together frequently to discuss
and decide upon various important
phases to keep their work progressive
and uniform. His salary Is from 5 1000
to $4,000 a year.
Then comes the coveted position of
superintendent of traffic, who gets $780,
900 to SIS 5000 a year. is a member of
h company, is executive head Of all
traffic chiefs. and is on an equality
with the plant superintendent and the
general commercial superintendent. the
three great directors of all telephone
business except that which is purely
financial and executive. Any one of the
three officials is in line for the posts
Of general manager, and, ultimately,
president.
There Is, however, another line of
advancement in the traffic department,
that of traffic engineer. You nay have
noticed that telephone districts, espe-
cially in the larger centers Of popula-
ton, are in a condition Of continued
change, new exchanges being opened,
old ones abandoned. ETC.. to meet the
changing conditions of telephone traf-
fic. This is where the engineers work
comes in.
We shall say that your boy, while
getting his telephone education and
working as traffic inspector, has mani.
tested a desire and aptitude for work
ing up through what is known as the
engineering department rather than to
become IN executive. His observant
Instructor has noticed this and com
municates accordingly with the head
of this particular branch, who assigns
the beginning to the study Of charts
showing the volume and trend of tele-
phone In various districts. So your boy
Uofohoo tho rYD,hor Df coils roo1n IN
particular localities, their decrease and
increase at different hours and from
day to day, and thus becomes a sort of
traflc prophet. When he finds that the
demands Of an exchange will be up to
the maximum Of its facilities in two
or three years, say, he presents his
data to the head Of the department,
and a new exchange station Is ordered
built. An exchange station has to be
planned at least two years ahead, as
this time Is required to install one. A
traffic engineer also designs the equip
ment and switchboard capacity neces-
sary for all stations, n 1t is on his
recommendation that steps are being
taken continually to maintain the serv-
ice on a no-delay basis.
hS - Va 81
is about the same as in the managing
branch Of the traffic department., and,
after becoming a full fledged traffic
engineer in charge of a large district,
the incumbent is on a par with the
traffic chief and in line for the traffic
superintendency.
Such, in a general way, are the steps
that a boy who desires to make traffic
telephony his ltfe's work has to take.
And let me add that with the telephone
industry growing so rapidly In all
parts of the country, the field of traffic
telephony promises to be a fertile one
for bright, ambitious boys for many a
year to come.
Copyright, 1910. by the Associated Lit
erary Press.)