Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-18
The Unframed Girl

problem TOO late" There are many girls
brooding over their inactive life, and
possibly other reasons why they would
like to be doing something" TO add 70
the family exchequer consoling them
selves with the thought that they can
become private secretaries" il things
come to the worst and simply and solely
| on the strength OF their social upbring-
ing as a accommodation.
1t is not that these things-family con-
nections, etc.-do not count for something
In girls chances for confidential work;
they do, but to put them first is putting
the cart before the horse. Without hard
work and hard training no amount OF
social recommendation is of any avail,
and the unframed girl must not expect
that these alone will gain her the open
sesame to the position OF confidential
clerk or private secretary in a big office.
It remains for the hardest taskmaker-
! the metropolis with its eternal treadmill
OF work and it's daily ebb and flow of
it's great tide Of human workers-to en-
force it's stern lesson upon the unframed
! girl When the business man first was
! inclined TO have his letters written in the
! new way he was ready 10 take the first
who came along qualified to write those
letters on the typewriter. with often but
little regard TO other considerations af-
fecting the credit OF that work, He could
not afford to walt until he had trained.
a girl in his business, for he wanted her
services for a definite piece OF work and
at once.
The vague notion OF twenty years ago
OF what was meant by some knowledge
OF shorthand and typewriting" was re-
sponsible for the invasion of offices by
an army OF young girls, and for a time
the sudden demand attracted the wrong
class of girls as regards general educa-
tions Since that time there has been
great change in the training OF girls
for the better class OF appointments. and
in the business mans appreciation OF the
better educated girl and the big business
offices can fairly claim 20 have among
its girl and women clerical workers some
OF the finest all-round woman clerks and
secretaries in the world. There are still.
however, too many entering offices with
either inadequate education or insult
ficient training in technical skill, and
the lesson for the unframed girl is still
one upon the learning OF which much OF
her welfare as worker must depend.
1t is not too much to say that the
trouble OF the business man with the UNI
trained girl would have been greater but
for the good offices OF the business train
ing schools, and the Sitting agencies of
the employment bureaus run By the lead
ing typewriter bureaus. Between these
! two agencies the employer gets a better
trained girl than formerly and one better
suited 10 his particular needs
In the managers office Of the employ
ment bureau OF one of the leading type
writer companies recently the writer
found the manager surrounded by small
crowd OF applicants, chiefly girls OF vary
ing types and ages. and he was engaged
in the process Of selecting the most suit
able for filling particular vacancies en-
tered upon that morning register Weed
/ ing out the unfit" he called IL, and he
added as a reason for this process:
Employers are now prepared 10 pay a
better salary than formerly, but they
want q higher class OF work. We stu
have too many come 20 Us who. although
they can pass our test In shorthand ana
typewriting.' show a want OF good home
/ training and general education"
What is the remedy for the unframed
girl In business? On this point we gath
cred that the schools should be careful
not TO admit girls for technical subjects
with defective general education