Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-12
NERVE BREAKING WORK
Nervous Strain Causes Physical Break
down Of Telephone GirIs-Fault Find
ina Subscribers Partly Responsible
Result Of Labor investigation.

Special to TiEes- Republican.
Des Moines, Oct. 12.-It is not the
work so much as the nervous strain
which causes the physical breakdown
of many telephone girls so the state
department of labor has found after
a thorough investigation. The depart
ment's report on this investigation ~
just being completed.
The Impotence and fault finding oil
unreasonable subscribers is one of the
most trying things the girls have TO
contend with, the report says. Inc
rigid rules and requirements of the
companies are also most trying.
This investigation showed that on the
common type Of telephone board an
operator has to perform eleven pro-
cesses for each telephone call received.
At the time of the investigation six
girls were on the verge of nervous
breakdown and were about to give
up their work. The report says that
ION looking up the peg count 1t was
found that one of these girls had an
swered 200 calls in half an hour. When
an operator has to handle ESQ calls per
hour it is considered an unusually large
number.
Representatives of the state depart
ment of labor interviewed LOT tele-
phone workers in thirty-four cities ana
towns. Thirty-two per cent of those
interviewed said the work made them
extremely nervous. Some 427 per cent
said they had never worked at any
other industry and 34.S per cent said
they liked the work altho it was
nervous strain.
OF the 1917 telephone workers in
terviewed 99s were single. thirty eight
were married and twenty two divorced.
The department also made an investi-
CATION of women workers in laundries.
The telephone offices and the laundries
employ a larger per cent Of women
workers in this state than any other
industry. Hence In ascertaining work
ing conditions in business employments
in which women are engaged these two
lines OF work were considered.
Seventy per cent Of the employees in
laundries are women. OF 1926 laundry
workers interviewed 1854 were single,
3ss married and 1873 divorced. Eighty
were widows and twenty six separated
from their husbands This shows IN
fact that IL per cent of the women
working in laundries were married.
Some Of them preferred to do laundry
work to staying at home all Of the time
where their Homework did not re-
Quire all Of their time. Fifty per cent
of the women said they liked the work
but said 1T was exacting and offered
no period for relaxation during the day
with long hours. In response to In
quir.es. 1875 said they were physically
exhausted many times due to standing
all day at their work. Considerable
trouble with varicose veins and broken
arches, backache and with feet and
ankles swelling was reported.
The common belief that many dis
eases are liable to be contracted from
the handling of dirty clothes was found
to be untrue, however. The govern
ment has also found that this does not
cause disease and makes the following
statement with regard to it:
1T is a common belief that the sort
ing and marking Of clothes Is a dan
gerous occupation thru possible con-
traction of diseases. While it is not an
impossibility no person was found do
ing this work who had ever known of
such a case. Some of the women
workers had handled clothes in this
manner twenty years."