The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-09-05
BIG DEMAND FOR
RADIO OPERATORS
By LEONARD PRESTON YOUNG,
Chief Electrician u S. and Instruction at
Radio School

Of these men, a. we'll As other emf
nent scientists, a young Italian.
Guglielino Marconi, solved the prob
lem. Marconi was a modest youth
and a deep thinker, and his greet
determination to succeed brought him
splendid results. He was not what
you would call an aggressive, push
ing youth. but he possessed the ten
acity and persistence to tight with
his great problem until he conquered
It, being the only man to bring this
system into commercial use, although
the worlds greatest scientists haa
for years experimented without any
practical results worth speaking of.
Means, Of Saving Life.
Not only did wireless come into use
for carrying news about the year 1898,
but 1t early showed its value as a
means OF saving life on the sea Now
it Is universally used on light ships
and light houses.
Many heroic deeds have been per-
formed by wireless operators In the
merchant marine, Phillips, of the IT,
tanic, heading the list Of heroes, hay-
ing sacrificed his life although he had
ample opportunity to save himself af-
ter having called for the assistance Of
ether ships
Young men have q wonderful -oppor-
tunity to enter this lucrative field. At
present there Is a tremendous de-
mand for wireless operators on sea
and land. and the supply will hardly
meet the requirements during the
present war. In fact, the demand Is so
great that the United States Govern
ment Is encouraging and urging col
1eges throughout the country to put
forth extra efforts toward instructing
young men in this profession, in order
to qualify them to enter this branch
OF the service Uncle Sam has made
Il particularly attractive for young
radio operators through increased pay
and the opportunity for rapid promo
ton to commissions in both the army
and navy, with the result that many
young men are availing themselves OF
the opportunities offered by schools to
prepare for this most fascinating and
interesting work. g.
Demand to Increase.
with the building of our new mer-
chant marine, the greatest the world
ever dreamed of, the demand for OPP
orators will be enormous, and to boys
and young men fifteen years Of age
and over the study of wireless offers
an opportunity to get into one Of the
best-paying fields of endeavor now Of
fered. There Is no more delightful
work than that OF radio operator In
the merchant marine, the salaries
ranging from SIS 10 $175 per month in
addition to all living expenses, not to
speak of the opportunity OF seeing
the world, which will be particularly
interesting after the present great
struggle for democracy has ended.
In addition to openings in the mer-
chant marine the wireless operator
has q wide range OF choice positions
under the United States Government,
and the pay is most attractive. In
the army, radio men receive $50 (cor-
poral operators) to $s1 per month;
in the navy from SAL to ST..
Salaries of wireless operators In
the lighthouse service range from
$3.50 to $1,140 q year, with 81 per
diem additional for subsistence.
Then there are positions for opera
tors under the Navy Department from
81 to IS per day. Inspectors receive
from $1,000 to $1,000 per annum, |
while expert radio aids receive from
81 200 to $500.
The writer has been Q wireless
operator in both the navy and the
merchant service since a youth, and
has never regretted selecting this
calling in preference to most others,
as II presents continual opportunities
fer Advancement It should especial
ly appeal to registered men on ac-
count OF the many advantages over
that of a private in the ranks.
While great generals, statesmen,
and scientists have had
and memorials erected to /
their memory or in recognition of
their deeds and services to humanity,
one may ind in Battery Park, New
York city, a little memorial erected
in honor of wireless operators who
stuck to their posts when the others
were taking to the boats in numerous
sea disasters, that they might call
for assistance, thereby saving the
lives of people who would have prob
ably died deaths Of untold hardship
IN open boats.
Opportunities Fer Women.
I have written here altogether Of
the opportunities and openings in
this great field for men, but it must
not be- overlooked that this is also
4 field which is growing rapidly for
women. And there are today many
Young women holding responsible and
tightly remunerative positions as wire
less operators.
The demand for women operators
after the ending of the war will
greatly increase, just as has the de-
mand for women land operators and
women in other callings that were
formerly almost entirely filled by
men, such as stenographerA type
writers, and accountants And why II
not7 Surely they are just as cap