Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-27
Wall Street Workers
Uy Frederic J. Hashin

New York City, Dec. fs.-Obtaining
employment In Wall Street these days
il about M easy as securing n passport
to Russia, or gaining admission 20 the
Union League Club since the recent Irish
episode Not that Wall Street has reached
tho saturation point in the matter of
employment, M have m many other dis
tricts all of sudden. n IL one place where
jobs nre still numerous. But Wall Street
does not employ in its former cauial and
evcn careless manner Instead, 10 over
hnuls them thoroughly, as n horse dealer
overhauls horse before committing him
self To it's purchase, and accepts only
those who are Of robust health, and inn
pechsbls character.
Judging by the nonchalant ease with
which clerks and messengers always seem
70 be getting away with millions Of dol
lars worth of bonds in this district, you
would never imagine that Wall Street
WAS particular about whom 10 employed
But, "a we have said, il is. Nearly every
large concern in ite narrow, crooked little
streets, nowadays has its personnel de-
partment, which is it's first line Of defense
against criminals in search Of Jobs Since
the recent explosion, these departments
have increased rapidly in numbers, while
entrance examinations 10 the big financial
institutions have become ~ rigid that,
as ono employe remarked sarcastically
the other day, only the sons ri bank presi-
dents can be messengers IN banks
The typical Wall Street personnel dc
pnrtment has three important divisions
namely, the psychological division, the
health division and the social service
division. Perhaps tho health division
should have been placed first, since health
IN the frat consideration in examining q
prospective employe The district =
specifications in this regard are quite as
rigid m those of the army In order 20
land a job here, n mans eyesight must
be good; his hearing perfect; his lungs
and heart and kidneys In good condition
and above all hrs teeth must not he de-
fective n a man Is in otherwise good
health, but his teeth need attention. he in
required 20 have them repaired before he
is taken on the staf The same conditions
apply to women employees.
rHE rmpforEs HEArrH.
The health division Of the personnel
department usually employs at least
two physicians for the work of examining
applicants as well as for tho care of per
rnanent employees One of these doctors
IN man and the other woman II IL
their duty 70 keep the permanent staff
at top-notch physical efficiency, and to
prevent tho employment of persons with
inciplent tuberculoais or other chronic
diHeases One such division also teaches
hygiene 10 tho firms workers, and nd
vIses them es % their personal habits In
diet, dentistry and baths
When the health DIVISION gets through
with him, the prospective employe * dis
patched To tho psychological division
where he - given elaborate tests for de-
trrmning his mental and moral grasp If
affairs sometimes man who enters this
division, believing himself "a be an expert
secretary, - informed that his powers lis
in the field of salesmanship. and hence IL
told that The firm will employ him only
a. salesman. According 20 one rrsycholo-
gist working for a financial institution
employing hundreds Of people, as many
young people oome TO him underat-
ing their abilities as thoSe who over
estimate them Occasionally. he has n
dRiilision prospective bank clerk hv
telling him he would make q better auto
mobile mechanic or plumber. but not so
often as one might imagine. Tho average
New orker, he says, Is usually pretty
accurate IN finding his own particular
niche
Having passed the inquisitions n these
two divisions the applicant must now
encounter the equally searching scrutiny
OF the social service division which wants
70 know host Of things. What n his full
name. his mothers and fathers name.
his nationality hrs religion. and political