Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-18
Watching Wall Street Workers
\ YEW YORK, Dec. 13.-Obtaining en-
Nj nlnxrn in Wall Street these DAYS is
By Frederic j. Haskin

League club since the recent Irish episode.
Not that Wall Street has reached the satu-
ration point in the matter of employment, as
have SO many other districts all of Z sudden.
1t is one place where jobs are still numer-
Gus. But Wall Street does not employ people
in it's former casual a. even careless man
ner. Instead, it overhauls them thoroughly,
as a horse dealer overhauls horse before
committing himself to it's purchase, and &C
cepts only those who are of robust health,
and impeccable character.
Judging by the nonchalant ease with which
clerks and messengers always seem to be get
ting away with millions of dollars worth of
bonds in this district, you would never mag
inc that Wall Street was at all particular
about whom it employed But, as we have
said, it is. Nearly every large concern in it's
narrow, crooked little streets, nowadays has
its personnel department, which is it's first
line of defense against criminals in search
/ jobs Since the recent explosion, these de-
Dartments have increased rapidly in numbers,
while entrance examinations to the big finan-
cial institutions have become SO rigid that,
as one employee remarked sarcastically the
other day, only the sons of bank presidents
can be messengers in banks.
The typical Wall Street personnel depart
ment has three important divisions-namely,
the psychological division; the health divi-
sion; and the social service division. Per-
haps the health division should have been
placed first, since health is the first consid-
Grafton in examining prospective employee.
The districts specifications in this regard
are quite as rigid as those of the army.
In order to land job here, a mans eyesight
must be good; his hearing perfect; his lungs
and heart and kidneys in good condition; and
above all his teeth must not be defective
If a man is in otherwise good health, but his
teeth need attention, he is required to have
them repaired before he is taken on the staff.
The. same conditions apply to women en-
ployes.
The Employees Health
The health division of the personnel de-
partment usually employs at least two ply
sicians for the work of examining applicants
as well as for the care of permanent en-
ployes. One of these doctors is a man and
the other woman. It is their duty to keep
the permanent staff top-notch physical eff
ficiency, and to prevent the employment of
persons with incipient tuberculosis or other
chronic diseases. One such division also
teaches hygiene to the firms workers, and
advises them as to their personal habits in
diet, dentistry and baths.
When the health division gets through with
him, the prospective employe is dispatched to
the psychological division, where he is given
elaborate tests for determining his mental
and moral grasp Of affairs. Sometimes
man who enters this division believing him
self to be an expert secretary is informed
that his powers lie in the field of salesman
ship, and hence is told that the firm will en-
ploy him only as salesman. According to
one psychologist working for financial in
stitution employing hundreds of people, as
many young people come to him undertaking
their abilities as those who overestimate
them. Occasionally, he has to dsilusion
prospective bank clerk by telling him he
would make a better automobile mechanic
or plumber, but not so often as one might
imagine. The average New Yorker, he says,
is usually pretty accurate in finding his own
particular niche.
Having passed the inquisitions of these
two divisions the applicant must now encoun-
ter the equally searching crutiny of the So
ial service division, which wants to know
host of things. What is his full name; his
mothers and fathers name; his nationality;
his religion; and political bel1ef, his birth
place; and his chief recreation? Where does
he live; where has he lived and where will
he live in the future? How many jobs has
he had before, and what and where were
they? How many people are in his family,
and who are they? All of these, and many
more questions are asked. One Young man.
who recently obtained an important position
In bank in the Wall Street district, asserts
that its social service inquisitor even made
him write down the names of all his women
friends and acquaintance.
This extensive record is then filed in the
company,s files, together with a photograph
OF the employe, and his list of references
investigated. If these are found to be salts
factory, he is accepted as permanent acqui-
sition to the staff, but this does not mean
thar ne is exempt from further examinations
or Investigations. The social service division
still keeps an eye on him. And so does the
health division. If his work suddenly be-
comes irregular in efficiency, he is whisked
MP to the medical office for another examina-
ton, and il this does not disclose the cause,
he social service division. rushes up to his
ne1ghborhood and interview his family or
landlady.
Home Life and Efficiency
Experience has shown that home condi-
lions have the greatest possible influence on
mans efficiency. An extravagant or COM
planning wife can drive a man to strange
acts OF crime, which, of course is matter
OF history. If the Revolutionary War staff
had only had social service department Ben
edict Arnold might have been rescued from
an ignominious immortality. But even little
nuisances at home play an important part in
mans work. For instance, one social serv-
ice worker declares that all the male work
ers on the staff of her company suddenly evil
dence surprising inefficiency during the
spring and fall housekeeping seasons, while
one man made a mistake, which would have
cost the firm thirty thousand dollars had 1t
not been discovered in time, during the pc
Rod that his wife was putting up cherries.
Any serious illness at home, of course, is al
ways registered by mans lack of concentra-
tion on his work.
Having proved this curious fact to it's own
satisfaction, Wall Street does not confine its !
surveillance to new employees, but has recent
ly extended its Investigations to include the |
home conditions Of employees long connected |
with it. There are about 10000 of these en-
ployed by over 400 firms. Some of them a.
gray-haired and stoop-sh ouldered from long
service, but they are to be investigated and
card-indexed just as thoroughly as the newest
office bow Most of this work however ia