The Washington times., 1919-12-23
ClERK'SPATH
NOT ROSY ONE
Pay Reyisers Hear Of Trials That
Beset Govt. Stenographers
and Secretaries.

Inc pain OF a stenO srapnerp Ngps'
and secretary In the Government
service Is beset with many thorns
according to testimony heard by the
Congressional joint commission on
rehabilitation of salaries this morn
ing.
A stenographer must. for example
be on the alert to catch the word
the dictator SWALLOWS"
The typist must be able to record
the hieroglyphics of the writer who
has forgotten his school-day pen
nAnship lessons"
The way of the private secretary
10 even less rosy, for "he is the
has to please the outsider. but he
must please his boss; know his
idiosyncrasies, respect his humors
anticipate his wishes and never make
the error OF attempting to keep out
some one who later proves to be a
friend. II he unconsciously offends
anyone, IL Is up to him to smooth the
matter over and IL he fails, he fails
as q private secretary"
1880 In Service.
Such were among the manifold
duties outlined in a brief presented
TO the commission by the typing,
stsnographic, correspondence and sec
rstArfal service, the largest group
representing approximately 1900 en-
ployea.
W. J. Schutrumpf, of the Interior
Department. as chairman of the COM
mittse, declared that these employees
were "the backbone of the Govern
ment service" although their work
Is generally underestimated.
Because of the responsibilities as
sumed and the efficiency required,
the setting OF high educational re-
quirements for entrance was recon-
nended- 'One OF the main causes OF
poor work by typists and stenograph-
srs II undoubtedly due to the fact
that they have not had a good funda-
mental training" the brief commented
In this respect.
The large turnover, attributed to
Inadequate salaries, was stressed and
II wAs declared that the Government
is -wasting huge sums and losing
valuable employees whom the Gov
heneft OF thelfuture employer in out
side work because the emploxe In the
Feeeral service fas enjoyed unusual
facilities for development by reason
Of the wide variety of Governmental
activlties.-
High Qualities Needed.
OF the shorthand reporter which
waS classed rs the highest branch OF
stenography, the brief said: at may
be fairly estimated that In amount OF
preparation necessary the shorthand
reporting profession is fully COM
parable with those OF law and medi-
cine, while the actual work Is gener'
ally much more eSacting."
~ t-yn 4Ssa mrs sfar
of considerable discussion. The re-
classification commission had set, In
It's tentative specification, a speed OF
nifty words per minute for the under
typist, sixty words for the junior and
seventy-hye words for the senior
typist.
Mr.. schutrumpf stated that it was
the belief Of the committee that this
speed was somewhat high, and the
following. was recommended as the
more general ability Of the average
typist: Forty-ive words for the un-
der. ffty-nve words for the junior and
sixty-hve words per minute for the
senior typist.
Men Most Accurate.
When the commission asked Mr.
Schutrumpf for his opinion OF the
relative ability OF men and women
typists, he declared that IL was an
embarrassing question. but answered
II by saying that he believed women
were the more speedy but that per
haps they were not as accurate as
men
Miss Esther Simpson, Of the War
Risk Bureau, presented a separate
brief for debating machine operators
declaring that because of their duties
these employees should have a separate
classification.
The steady and nerve-rackins work
OF these operators was emphasized
and IL was stated that they alway.
rs&~t be on the alert for confused
sentences and smooth out indIstinc,
words.
-Nst . Minute Wasted,
Not a minute is wasted by dictat.
ing machine operators, as compared
with the time lost by stenographers,'
said Miss Simpson. The time spen,
In taking dictation and wasted In
waiting on the dictator to attend tc
things for which a business man ma,
always be interrupted. is used by tn.
operator for turning out actual work
As a consequence Of this uninterrupteC
work the debating machine operator
produces so per cent more work thar
the stenographer."
1t was stated that the Civil Seryict
Commission has recognized these op
orators as a separate force of traineC
workers. II was declared that II wa!
difficult TO procure skilled operators.
The question as to whether or no
the debating machine was practIca
was given lengthy discussion II wa
generally agreed that the value of tn
machine depended upon the pron