The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-14
War Problems Hit All Public
> Service Corporations.
Big Drain on Their Resources
and Their Employees.
HOWEVER, NONE ARE KICKING
Santa Fe Training Women To
Replace Valuable Men.
Big Expense on Telephone and
Telegraph Companies.

No industry is 20 affected by the war
and its resultant transactions as the
public service corporations of the war
ring country, according 20 state
rnent agreed to by railroad officials,
telegraph men and executives of the
telephone company of Topeka. In all
three branches of service, the govern
ment has an indirect if not absolute
control of the industry-t:.at is. as far
as service to the government is con-
cerned. Government business given
to any of these branches OF Industry
demands immediate attention and has
first call on the service of the COM
pany. Connected with this special
service. maintained by each industry
for the government and its business,
is the heaviest kind of expense-that
of denying local business houses and
men the usual service which has built
up all three lines of industry. Special
machines, in the telegraph system,
special trains, for the railroads, and
special wires for the telephone BUSH
ness have all been offered the govern
ment for war business at
an actual loss to the company and
sometimes at only a slight profit.
In addition to the expense of special
service, war has called, perhaps, some
of the most efficient employees of all
companies In lOpthds lliC santa L
offices have reported an alarming
shortage of telegraph operators, clerks
and of drafting experts. All have been
called to war. The telegraph COM
panies, too, have suffered a similar
loss. Operators have left the business
to serve the nation in the time OF war.
Telephone men have flocked to the
fighting forces. Enlistments from
these workers include craftsmen, line
men and operators. War has truly
struck Topeka and the result is being
felt in the public service corporations
more than in any single class of in
dustry.
Serious Employment Problem.
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railroad, employing more men than
any Topeka corporation or firm, has
declared itself nearly baffled by the
problem of securing employees. With
in the last three weeks, the Santa Fe
has been forced to issue call for
women in the telegraph department.
The greatest efforts are being made to
train women to fill the place of the
men called to the colors. Telegraph
schools have been besieged with re-
quests for feminine operators, not
only by the Santa Fe but also by other
large business enterprises
Then too, the railroad is confronted
with a threatened shortage of en-
ployes in the drafting department. A
training school has recently been
opened in Chicago for the special pur-
pose of training women in drafting.
Nearly twenty women and girls have
already started on their courses and
will be ready for actual work within
the next eight months. Each of the
graduates of the institution will take
the place of a man who has answered
the call to the colors.
The third branch of expense will
come with the return of the men from
the battle front and from training
schools of the army and navy. Posi-
tons in the railroad offices will be
saved for the men upon their return.
Hundreds of women will, then, be
turned out of the business, after thou
sands of dollars have been spent in