The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1917-08-16
Telephone Company Inau-
gurates Promotion Plan

Over three million telephone calls
are handled by The Pacific Telephone
and Telegraph Company. This SER
vice is rendered to the users of six
hundred thousand telephones. Pa
irons naturally come into closest re-
lations with the telephone operators
who respond to their calls. ,Occa-
sionally, in matters Of contract. col
lections, adjustments, etc., they meet
with the business representatives of
the company who form what is
known as the commercial depart
ment of the company.
But the public may not realize the
existence of large force of trained
employees whom they never see, but
upon whose efficiency depend in a
great measure the promptness and
| qudilty Va tHC oCI VIC IcllucIeu. 1 Ills
force is known as the Plant Depart
ment and with the Pacific Company
| numbers over four thousand men
scattered throughout its territory.
| These are the men who install and
maintain pole lines, switchboards, ca
bles, conduits and the material in
strumentalities of service. They may
be found upon the cross-arms of the
long distance lines, in the man holes
beneath the traffic of crowded city
streets, behind the switchboards ad-
justing their delicate mechanism or
in the draughting room. They are
called upon for the labor of heavy
construction and the technical skill
required in the installation and ad-
justment of complicated apparatus.
The executives of the telephone
timpany realizez that its plant de-
partment must be kept in high state
of efficiency both for routine work
and emergencies constantly occur
ring. With this object in view, the
Pacific Company has recently inaug-
urated routine which it calls a
f''Plan for Examination for Promo
ton and Increased Compensation for
Plant Department Employees"
This plan provides for detailed but
practical examinations to be con-
Quoted under the direction of exam
iners chosen from plant supervisory
| forces such as district superintend-
ents, wire chiefs and foremen. All
employees are eligible who can show
a preliminary service of one year.
| No deductions are made in the COM
| pensation of applicants for time re-
| quired by examinations, and even the
| cost of transportation is allowed to
| and from the places where such ex-
aminations are held. The wages and
standing of applicants not passing
are not accepted, and liberal privi-
| leges as to further examinations are
provided for. In general, eXamina-
lion questions are directed to the eff
tort to ascertain the abilities of the
applicant bearing upon his particular
| knowledge of the work in which he
| has been employed, his familiarity
with other lines of telephone work
associated with his own, his know
| ledge of safety first measures and
| ules, and of public regulations ap-
| olicable TO construction and his re-
possibilities in his particular terri
:ory.
A utility is as eager to obtain COM
,etent men for its responsible posi-
| ions as are its employees for "the
| Job ahead and the telephone COM
)any is endeavoring in this fair and
| equitable manner to find those who
| are deserving of promotion.
The Company has met with graf
flying response from its employees,
many of whom have already present
ed themselves for examination. The
Company management realizes that
the increased efficiency of the indiyid-
ual in its ranks means added success
in it's operations. For the public it
is a guaranty of plant well estab-
lished and maintained, in other
words, prompt and dependable tele-
phon service.