The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-08
GLIMPSE AT The
BUSY HELLO GIRL
AN INTIMATE STUDY OF THE
LIFE or CENTRAL is CON-
TANNED IN REPORT JUST Is-
SUED BY U. s. GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL NEIL.

Well, what do you know about
that" exclaimed petite telephone
girl after she had been shown re-
port Of Commissioner Neil of the fed
eral labor department in which he
tells all he knows about the hello
girl. He has left little for her to. find
out about herself.
The commissioner has told an eager
country many things concerning the
young woman who sometimes stirs the
ire OF nervous patrons 1t seems that
1t is not her fault that one cannot al
ways get the corner grocery in seven
seconds, or that Mrs. Smiths tele-
phone is busy because the maid is tell
ing the Ice man thai she will be there
with bells on, and that she hopes he
won't knock the block off the milk
man at the ball, which for the bene-
fit of Mrs. Smiths wash lady. whose
husband inconsiderately shuffled off
without paying the house rent. Don't
get gay with the hello girl" advises
Mr.. Neil, land you'll get better SER
vice. She's doing the best she can
and nobody can do any more"
The ideal hello girl, the kind that
VIII make a manager do a f1ipfop. has
calm, clear eye and good appetite.
steady hand, and firm set jaw.
They must not be excitable," says
Mr. Neil. OF 6,152 applicants in half
hundred cities the commissioner
found that 2,229 were unable to quail
ify, 4S6 being too young, eleven re-
fusing to work on Jewish holidays.
six declining to be vaccinated, 169
lacking in personal appearance, and
544 being too small
A girl under five feet doesn't stand
any chance of getting her hands on
the black front of a switchboard. No
blinking lights or tinkling of bells for
her. None of the companies" says
the commissioner, employ short
girls. They want girls who can reach.
The girl under five feet hasn't any
show" The way some companies find
out whether girl is too small is
by comparing her with another girl
who is more than five feet in height
The applicant doesn't always know
that she is getting a physical inspec-
ton. In some towns a physical ex-
animation is made.
The health of the hello girl is good
the commissioner finds, although in
the good old summer time they are
prone to indigestion from slowing
away too many ice cream cones and
chocolate drops. Some companies pro-
vide hygienic luncheons, which pre-
vent afternoon dullness and head
aches that raise hob with the service
when the peak of the load" is reach
ed. incidentally, any subscriber who
wants to hand out a knowing line of
conversation to the hello girl, should
tell about the side reach" and up
reach" Jacks" split trick" and a
few others.
The telephone girl may not know
it, but in some towns she is the sub
ject Of an earnest campaign in behalf
of the uplift and the higher life. Some
girls may want to know why their
employers haven't furnished them
with roof gardens and lounging places.
The commissioner finds that some
companies have such gardens and he
recommends that more OF them be es-
tablished.
Mr.. Nell defends the telephone girl
against peevish public. He says that
the average switchboard girl hes a
100 telephone call signals to watch.
AS each call comes in, light flashes
on signal cap. Many signal lights
glow simultaneously and there is a
clicking in the operators ear every
time the receiver is moved up and
down. With all this confusion in
front of her the hello girl has to con-
tend with a supervisor who stands
behind her and calls out the num-
bers to other operators when she falls
behind in her work She is in fear,
also, of the monitor cutting in at any
minute and reprimanding her.
Under the rules the hello girl is
supposed only to say, Number please "
no matter how much she is abused
When the peevish person begins to
scold and ask why in thunderatien he
hasn't got his number, he is delay
ing her with the other calls that are
coming in, and is not only lessenins
his own chance of getting quick SER
vice, but is delaying other people and
making life sad for the telephone
girl
liC COMMISSIONER duuS IHdL II IOlkS
who delay their morning telephonins
until 1880 and their afternoon tele-
phoning until 5 would remember that
these are the heaviest hours of the
| day, the peaks of the load" they
would get better service and would
make life easier for the girls.
| Some of the girls may be surprised
to learn that these hours of rush are
regarded by them as fun" 'They
really enjoy the excitement and the
exhilaration." says the commissioner
who makes this observation: 'The
loyalty and esprit de corps among
telephone girls is greater than in any