The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1917-12-19
STENOGRAPHERS ARE
WANTED EVERYWHERE
University of Missouri Calls
for Them, as Do All Sec
tions of Country.
WAR NEEDS MORE
College of Agriculture EN-
ploys IS, and 10 Are Used
in Extension Service.


Wanted-Stenograpners with ex
perience and ability.
This is the call from all over the
country Just now, and the University
of Missouri is calling just as Loudly
as any other employer, with the ex'
ception of the Federal Government al
washington. The Government is In
need of 5000 clerks and stenograph-
ers and up to this time but COM
paratiyely few have answered the
call. Civil service examinations Tor
stenographers are held every Tues
dav at the Pcsfcffice, and the salaries
range for $1,000 to $1,000.
The increased amount of work
brought on by the war has caused
this great need for more stenogra-
phers and the University, doing its
bit. shares this need. The forty-fve
full-time stenographers are not able
to keep up with all the work of the
institution and even with many per-
sons giving part time the work is not
diminishing. Four stenographers at
the University have resigned to take
ND work with the Government at a
considerable increase in salary. They
are Miss Cannie Quinn, Miss Lillian
Heller, Miss Mary winston Jones and
Miss Betrie Quinn.
Agriculture Uses Most
The College of Agriculture uses the
greatest number of stenographers.
In fact, including those in the Agri-
cultural Extension Service, more than
half the stenographers are employed
by the College of Agriculture. The
Agricultural Extension Service uses
ten full-time persons and the College
of Agriculture about eighteen. Out OF
the entire forty-five stenographers
there are no men. There are, how
ever, about four men in the University
who are doing part-time work, but
even these are about to give up their
Jobs to enter some branch OF nation
al service.
The lack of general preparation
seems to be causing trouble to pei
sons attempting to hold stenographic
or clerical positions. The work In
the Agricultural Extension Service
is very exacting- and when stenogra-
pliers can't make out their notes
there is absolutely no chance to
founder around and make BLUM on
some sort of transcription. Inac-
curacy on the typewriter is another
great drawback. When material has
to be rewritten a time or two on ac-
count of inaccuracies that stenogra-
pher doesn't stand much of show at
holding job.
Stereotype Being Used.
There is no one particular kind of
shorthand being used at the Univer-
sity; the Gregg system probably
leads, the Pitman coming next, and
Just now that little machine called
the stereotype is coming into much
This device takes the
place of shorthand notes, although to
decipher 1t is of times as great task
as that of the shorthand. Unless the
operator knows the system thorough
ly there is a great chance OF slipping
in the wrong syllable.
The average salary paid to stem
ographers in the University is about
$55. Those working In the offices OF
the various deans receive more than
that, but even that amount apparent
ly isn't holding them when the Gov
ernment is Offering so much more.
The hours for work are from a. m.
to p. m, with an hour out for
lunch and Saturday afternoons off.
Weddings were so frequent in the
College of Agriculture several years
ago that they were almost an epi-
demic, a large per cent Of the stem
ographers marrying members Of the
agricultural faculty. During that
time very few of the stenographers
resigned to accept similar positions
elsewhere. When their designations
were rendered everybody began
watching the newspapers for the we'd
ding announcement. Such weddings
are almost an unheard Of thing now
because there are only a very few un-
married men on the faculty. Whether
this condition makes for more eff
Client work on the part of the stem
ographers or whether it decreases the
incentive to put forth the best efforts
is yet to be proved.