Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Hair-do's and complexion creams, permanents and other mysteries of the beauty shop constituted the workinjr background of Miss Gil- bert, who lives at 144 Garvin Boule- vard. Camden. She is tremendous- ly interested in the work, but says the biggest thrill she gets out of her job is when naval officers spot the insignia on her overcoat and give her a courtesy salute. "I've even been saluted by Com- manders." laughs Miss Gilbert. "You'll never know what a thrill that is." At their work the women use micrometers, calipers, scribers to test tightness of soldered connec- tions, a dentist's mirror to get a look at vital points not visible from outside the apparatus, screw driv- ers and other tools. They must also handle blue prints, and most of them have taken special courses for this. Most of them also are study- ing now on their own time in one or more of the RCA Victor special classes. An unexpected but warmly wel- comed by-product of the introduc- tion of women naval inspectresses in the shops has been the effect on the production line morale. Ac- cording to Harry LeRoy, RCA Vic- tor's Camden Works Manager, the enthusiasm of the girl inspectors is contagious. It has acted as a challenge to the craftsmanship of the male workers. "Naval inspection of radio and electronic equipment," said Mr. Le- Roy, "is always, necessarily, rigid. Xo one would say that the women inspectors are tougher than the men, but there is no denying that they have keen eyes and unlimited initiative, and they're plenty tough. Xo skilled workman taking pride in his craft likes to have rejects, but it irks him a lot more if his work is turned back by a woman. "As a consequence, we've found a spirit of friendly competition de- veloping in every shop in which the Xavy has placed women inspectors. The fact that most of these women could earn more money in their for- mer professions or careers is known to the workmen, though the women don't boast about it. They are mak- ing sincere, earnest and patriotic sacrifices to get the war over as soon as possible. This example can- not help but inspire the men to put the same spirit into their work." All the women in the group were required to take tough civil service examinations. There was a rigid weeding out process, and only those with high ratings and unusual abil- ity were accepted. Minimum edu- cational requirement is a high school education, but most of the women are college graduates, and all of them are thoroughly imbued with the Xavy spirit. The course for Xavy women in- spectors runs 408 hours on a sched- ule of eight hours per day, six days per week, no holidays and plenty of homework. The first fourteen graduates, trained specifically for inspection work at the RCA Victor plant, were sent over on an experimental basis by the U.S.X.I.S. The results were so highly regarded, both by Navy officials and RCA management, that succeeding graduates were immedi- ately placed with the company. With the training program a practical success, it is being ex- tended to other war plants through- out the country making naval radio and electronic equipment, accord- ing to the office of the Inspector of Xaval Material of the Fourth Naval District, Philadelphia. New Television Course English-made films, explaining the mechanism of the enemy's new- est explosive types of incendiary liombs and demonstrating effective means of extinguishing the lethal shells, are being used in NBC's revised Air Raid Warden's course, televised every Monday at 4:00 p.m., and again at 7:30 p.m.. over Station WNBT. Since February, 1942, when the first Air Warden lessons were tele- vised, more than 2.50,000 wardens have attended the lectures through the medium of television sets in- stalled in New York's eighty-two police precinct stations. Completion of the course is mandatory for warden-candidates. FIRST RADIOPHOTO TRANSMISSION FROM STOCKHOLM WAS THIS PICTURE OF DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SWEDISH TELE- CRAPHS H. STERKY. RADIOPHOTO SERVICE Neu) Circuit Opened Bij RCAC Links Stockholm. Sweden. With N. V. City ESTABLISHING radio photo service between this country and a neutral European nation for the first time since the outbreak of war, a new circuit linking Stock- holm, Svi'eden, and New York was opened February 22 by R.C.A. Com- munications, Inc. Opening of the .3.976-mile New York - Stockholm circuit enables RCAC quickly to service photo- graphs and other graphic material to and from all sides of the Euro- pean war theater. With Stockholm in the North, other RCAC radio- photo circuits link the United States with London in the West, Moscow in the East, and Cairo in the South. The Stockholm service, which was under test in cooperation with the Swedish Telegraph Administra- tion for several months, brings to seven the number of radiophoto circuits operated by RCAC between the United States and various sec- tions of the world. There is a New York-Buenos Aires service and, in addition. RCAC's San Francisco terminal receives radiophotos from Melbourne and Honolulu. Trans- mission of a picture over any of the circuits requires only six to ten minutes. RADIO AGE 271