FLIRTING ON THE ‘PHONE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3666, 30 October 1912, Page 3

FLIRTING ON THE ‘PHONE.

PROHIBITED IN CHICAGO

Chicago has the reputation of haying the smartest telephone system in the world, and its efficiency, the company officials say, may be ascribed to the fact that strict rules are laid down for their “central” operating girls. As one of them put it “a telephone girl has nothing to do hut work,” which means that she must talk business only all the time she is at the switchboard. The Chicago Telephone Company some time ago nearly caused a riot among its feminine employees by prohibiting the wearing of “peekaboo” blouse's, fussy clothes, haiipuffs, etc., hut the company’s orders provided. Now comes an order that forbids the central girl 'from flirting on tho wires. The company has also put into effect a series of phrases for the use of operators, and no others can he used.

The new telephone phrase and rulehook “prohibits personal conversation between employees over the wires. You must give your time to the company. If friends attempt to take up your time by trivial conversation, switch them on to the chief operator. You must dress plainly and neatly in dark or-blue colors, with no puffs, rouge, or perfumery. Jew]lory and ornaments are not in good taste.” The telephone company believes that if the girls are obliged to dress plainly they will not have so many admirers, and even in the event of a “masher” trying to talk sweet nothings over the wire to a pretty central operator, his ardour will soon Tie cooled by being instantly switched to the chief operator, whoso voice alone indicates asperity and age.