The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-16


ing employment In Wall street these
days ID about IS easy as securing .
passport to Russia, or gaining ad-
mission to the Union League club
since the recent Irish episode. Not
that Wall street has reached the sat-
uration point in tho matter Of en-
ployment. - have 90 many other
districts all d aesudden. 1t il one
place where jobs are still numerous.
But Wall street does not employ
people in it, former casual and even
careless manner. Instead, it over
hauls them thoroughly, as d horse
dealer overhauls . horse before
committing himself TO its purchase.
and accepts only those who are OF
robust health, and ippeccable
character.
Judging by the nonchalant ease
with which clerks and messengers
always seem to be getting away with
millions Of dollars worth Of bonds
In this district, you. would never
imagine that Wall street was At gil
particular about whom it employed.
But. a. we have said, il Is. Nearly
every large concern in its narrow,
crooked little streets, nowadays has
its personnel department, which is
its first line Of defense against
criminals IN search Of jobs. Since
the recent explosion, these depart
ments have increased rapidly in
numbers, while entrance examina-
lions to tho big financial institu-
tons have become 30 rigid that, as
one employee remarked sarcastic
cally the other day only the sons Of
hank presidents can be messengers
in banks.
The typical Wall street personnel
department has three important di-
visions namely, the psychological
division; the health division; and
the social service division. Per-
haps the health division should have
been placed first, since health is the
first consideration in examining q
prospective employe. The districts
specifications in this regard are
! quite as rigid as those of the army.
In order to land q job here, mans
eyesight must be coed; his hearing
perfect; his lungs and heart and
kidneys in good condition; and
above all his teeth must not be de-
| fective. II q man is in otherwise
good health, but his teeth need At
tention. he is required to have them
repaired before he is taken on the
staff. The same conditions apply
to women employees.
Tho Employee Health.
The health division of the per.
sonnet department usually employs
at least two physicians for the
work Of examining applicants a:
we'll as for the care Of permanent
employees. One of these doctors il
q man and the other a woman. II
is their duty to keep the permanent
staff at top-notch physician effic
iency, and to prevent the employ.
ment Of persons with incipient tn
berculosis or other chronic diseases
One such division also teaches by.
giene to the firms workers. and ad
vises them az to their persona
habits. in diet, dentistry and baths.
| When the health division get.
through with him, the prospective
employee is dispatched to the psyche
logical division, where he is giveI
elaborate tests for determining hi!
mental and moral grasp Of affairs
Sometimes a man who enters thi
division believing himself to be al
expert secretary is informed tina
his powers lie in the field of sales
manship. and hence is told that tn
firm will employ him only as ,
salesman. According to one psy
chologist working for q financia
institution employing hundreds o
people, as many young people com
to him undertaking their abilities a
those who Overestimate them. DC
casionally, he has to disillusion
prospective bank clerk by tellin
him he would make a better auto
mobile mechanic or plumber, bu
not SO often as one might irnagin,
The average New Yorker, he say.
is usually pretty accurate in findin
his own particular niche.
Having passed the inquisition
OF these two divisions, the appli
cant must now encounter tn
, equally searching scrutiny of tn
SOCIAL service division which want
to know a host of things. What
his full name; his mothers az
fathers name; his nationality: hi
: religion and politics; belief, hi
birthplace, and his chief recrea
ton? Where does he live; wher
has he lived. and where he wi
live in the future? How many job
l has he had before, and what an
( where were they? How many pee
pie are in his family, and who al
they? All of these and many MOI
9 questions are asked. One youn
I man, who recently obtained an in
p"rtant position in bank in til
!. Wall street district, asserts tn;
Aits social service inquisitor eve
: made him write down the names /,
al! his women friends and a.
: quaintances.
II This extensive record is the
t filed in the company's files, togetl
: er with . photograph of the en-
: ploye, and his list Of references il
a vestigated. II these are found
IS be satisfactory, he is accepted as
It permanent acquisition to the sta
but this does not mean that he
n exempt from further examination
e or investigations. The social Sc
vice division still keeps an eye I
. him. And so does the health d
e vision. II his work suddenly b
II comes irregular in efficiency. he
whisked up to the medical ONCE 4