Evening star. [volume], July 07, 1918, Page 2, Image 32

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Woman Munition Workers to Be Safeguarded by a (Government Division j
TO safeguard the health and In
dustrial conditions surround*
Ing the thousands of woman
workers who have gone Into
government munition plants since the
^rar the women's branch of the In
dustrial service section of ?he ord
inance department has been estab
lished, with a woman as chief.
In the low gray building known as
the department of ordnance Is the
office of Dean Schneider, head of the
Engineering School of the University
Of Cincinnati, and now one of Uncle
Sam's "dollar-a-year men" who is
Serving as the head of the Industrial
feervlce section of the ordnance de
partment. This Industrial service sec
tion, which was created In January.
1018, has already established four
main divisions and, under Dean
Schneider, is fast working out con
structive policies with reference to
employment and other conditions per
taining to munition workers. In this
Organisation wherever practicable the
English pattern has been followed
relative to conditions, hours, eta
*
> ? * .
The first of the four divisions al
ready established Is the employment
management division, which will ad
vise regarding the establishment of
employment departments In Indus
trial plants, and, with the co-opera
tion of the universities, develop a
trained group of available men and
women for positions as employment
managers
The second division of the section
fs the adjustment division, for media
tion In difficulties which have caused
strikes or seem likely to cause them.
The third division, on supply an^
distribution, has In hand a big prob
lem of housing and transportation in
munition centers.
The fourth is the woman's division.
Miss Mary Van Kleeck, chief of this
division, Is an A. B. of Vassar Col
lege of the class of TO, and a maga
slne writer on labor problems. She
was for a number of years With the
Russell Sage Foundation, and her
lectures on industrial conditions for
men and women at the Hew York
School of Philanthropy were largely
attended. . A. ? ?
This office Is the picture of tl^e most
austere warlike simplicity. There are
neither rugs nor comfortable chairs
to invite the visitor to engage In a
lengthy conversation; all betokens
dispatch and the prompt conduct of
business. A solitary pansy on the
desk was the only touch of color.
Miss Van Kleeck spoke of the thou
sands of women in the United States
who had been drawn Into occupations
formerly considered suitable to men
and how the war made all the work
of women new?how it had created
new conditions, Imposed new burdens
and removed old safeguards In their
accustomed tasks.
She said. In speaking of these new
conditions: "The war has opened up
new opportunities, and it has also
multiplied problems of adjustment In
the new and unaccustomed occupa
tions. The relation of women to in
dustry or of women te men in their
trades is no longer the same. Baclr
of a)L the changing conditions affect
ing both men and women is the fun
damental fact of a new public con
sciousness that labor is the nation s
fundamental asset In time of war.
*
*
??The number of primers Inspected
by a woman in a cartridge shop, her
skill ii> Inspection and the conditions
which make her a vigorous, cheerful
worker or a discontented employe
witlf a just grievance have become
details of national importance. The
housing in her town, her standard of
living and the skill and contentment
of the numerous other workers whose
products are part of her standard of
living are all factors Influencing the
output of cartridges needed for the
Army In France.
"The establishment of a woman's
division in the industrial service sec
tion of the ordnance department is a
practical expression of the govern
ment's direct interest In woman
workers In munition plants. The
ordnance department is charged with
the responsibility of providing muni-,
tlons of all kinds for the Army and
many supplies needed by soldiers in
the field?not only arms and car
tridges, but helmets, harness and a
long list of other equipment as well."
Miss Van Kleeck spoke of the ex
pediency of the ordnance department
In establishing an industrial service
section to deal with labor conditions,
as logical, practical and far-sighted,
owing to the fact that shortage of
labor, strikes and all conditions which
prevent efficiency and dispatch are of
Importance in the production pro
gram.
The government, through the ord
nance department, manufactures in
Its own arsenals, and It places con
tracts with privately owned plants.
? The many kinds of munitions are in
spected by the-department at various
stages of manufacture. Miss Van
Ki/iO attention to general
orders No. .13, issued by. the chief of
?rdnance last November, containing
Suggestions to arsenal commanders
and itianufacturers of ordnance.
The orders deal with hours of labor,
standards in workrooms, wages, ne
gotiations between employers and
employes and the employment of
women and minors. For women, it is
declared, that "existing legal stand
ards should be rigidly maintained, and
even where the law permits a nine or
ten hour day, effort should be made
to restrict the work of women to
eight hours to enable them to bear the
Increased burden brought by new
tasks and" by greater speed in their
accustomed occupations."
*
t * *
Miss Van Kleeck, in explaining the
work of the women's division, said:
'The woman's division is a separate
branch of the industrial service sec
tion of the ordnance department, be
cause many of the problems affecting
women are different from the prob
lems affecting men. The standards of
Ifceir wages are lower. They are not
so strongly organised in trade union*.
They are physically less capable of
heavy work and the dangers of over
strain are more serious. And they
represent a reserve force of labor capa
ble of expansion if the withdrawal of
men into military service makes nec
essary the more extensive employ
ment of women.
'The danger is that they may be put
Into men's places before an actual
shortage of labor ma!:es it necessary,
and that their ill-considered Introduc
tion into new occupations may be the
occasion for lowering wages, for
checking the proper development of
collective bargaining, and for adding
a new and powerful factor to condi
tions causing unrest In industry.
"While women's work has its spe
cial aspects, nevertheless Its prob
lems are so Intertwined with those
of men in the same trades that they
cannot be considered as a group
apart. The women's division of the
ordnance department Is an integral
part of the industrial service section,
guided by the same policies and
working with and through the other
divisions. It will have its specialists
in employment management, in hous
ing as it affects woman workers, and
in adjustments, ard these will work
with the corresponding divisions of
the industrial service section.
"It will have an important branch on
the health of woman workers. Its
field work will be handled through
district supervisors assigned to the
large munitions area where women
are employed. These supervisors
will be stationed in the local offices
of the production divisions, of the
ordnance department."
Miss Van Kleeck has appointed
Miss Mary Anderson a member of
her supervising staff. Miss Anderson
is a member of the national execu
tive board of the Boot and Shoe
Workers' Union, and has had suc
cess as a mediator in Important in
dustrial disputes. Her work with the
government will be to act as me
diator in any ldbor controversy
which may arise among woman muni
tion workers in government plants.
*
* ?
Dr. Kristie Mann is a member of
Miss Van Kleeck's staff. She has
asked one of the prominent women's
colleges to establish a summer course
for officers to serve in the health de
partment of munition plants as em
ployes of the plant. It is estimated
that from twenty to thirty such
officers to look after the health of
women employed in arsenals and ord
nance plants will be needed by next
MISS MARY VAN KLERCK,
Cldef of women's branch of Industrial
?ervlce section, ordnance department.
falL. At Dr. Mann's suggestion, one
of the medical colleges is contem
plating a course of this kind to turn
out doctors of industrial health
after two years' training.
A woman supervisor will be sta
tioned in each of the ten supervisor
districts which are fast being or
ganized. The Chicago and Phila-.
delphia districts have opened with
Miss Amy Hewes in charge of the
women's work in the Chicago dis
trict. She was until recently secre
tary of the committee on women in
industry of the Council of National
Defense, and head of the fconomic
department of Mount Holyoke Col
lege. Miss Hewes will have under
her supervision ail munition plants
which employ women in Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota and northern
Indiana.
Miss Louise Cornell, sometime asso
ciated with the New York state com
mittee on women in Industry of the
Council of National Defense, has
been appointed woman supervisor of
the Philadelphia district. The other
and voted that it should be made of
khaki. The result has been pleasing
as well as utilitarian.
*
? *
This uniform consists of a blouse
and specially designed overalls which
are made full and button around the
ankles. In order that there may be
no place In the uniform for powder
WOMAN MUNITION WORKER IN CAP AND UNIFORM.
districts being organized are Detroit,
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
Rochester, New York, Boston and
New Haven.
*
* *
For several months there has been
waged a lively campaign in Washing
ton to put all woman war workers in
uniform with some Insignia to show
that they are engaged in war work
and doing their part as valiantly to
fight the war to a finish as any sol
dier in the field. So far lack of unity
in the departments as to the kind of
uniform to be adopted by those in
purely clerical positions has prevent
ed anything being done. Then a lin
gering fancy for fllmy chiffon blouses,
frills and fancy boots defeats a war
time economy much needed*
However, woman munition workers
In government plants 'decided some
time ago that the sensible, sanitary,
riafe and patriotic thing to do was to
wear uniforms.
As a result they wear a distinctive
uniform with an insignia to denote
that the War Department recognizes
theiti as ah Important part of the
military organization. The safety
features which characterize this uni
form, making it practicable for wear
at work which involves danger either
from the operation of machinery or
the handling of explosive powders,
were designed by a- committee of
woman workers at the Frankford
arsenal and Mrs. Clara Tead of the
woman's branch of the industrial
service section of Miss Van KIceck's
department. Mrs. Tead was sent to
confer with the women at the arsenal
and found them enthusiastio over
the project. A committee of work
ers selected the style of the uniform
or flying dust to lodge, the blouse
buttons over the overalls instead of
under; the overalls button forward
instead of backward; the collar of the
blouse can be buttoned tightly around
the neck or can be worn open at the
throat in warm weather.
The pocket on the front is closed
at the top and will doubtless be used
as the place on which the insignia
is to be worn; the large hip pocket,
which has an emple flap to button
down tightly, gives the worker a se
cure place to carry her purse, hand
kerchief and other articles. There are
no loose ends to the costume, the
cuff of the bloomers buttoning close
ly around the ankles with two but
tons.
The cap Is made of a lighter weight
material than the bloomers. This is
to prevent any undesirable overheat
ing of the scalp. While the material
of the cap is light weight it is closely
woven in order to keep out the durit*
The cap has an elastic or tight band,
but is easily adjusted to any size
or shape head. It is made, after the
style of the official aviation cap and
is worn with enthusiasm by the-wom
an workers ecause of its general at
tractiveness and becomingness, Mrs.
Tead finds.
*
* *
The Frankford arsenal employs the
largest number of women of any of.
the government plants, and these
women were the first to wear the uni
form; Miss Van Kleeck hopes that
this uniform",will\be adopted by ,the
private munition plants because of its
?safety features. She says the in
signia "to5 be Worn by every woman
making munitions in- government
plants is intended as a badge of honor
signifying that those woman workers
are as necessary to the winning of
the war as the men in the trenches.
Miss Van Kleeck, in summing up the
alms of the wonipn'H branch of the
industrial service Miction, said: "The
whole plan of the work is determined
by a put-pone of the women's division
to be in constant touch with the
munitions plants, not for investiga
tion without an aim, but for practical
constructive e.T ?rt ?to establish con
ditions which shall set free tho besl
energies of the woman workers, en
abling them to accomplish the part
which they are eager to perform in
production for the war.
"Setting free the energies of the
workers mentis removing the ob
stacles to real achievement which.are
built up by too long hours, too low
wages, unwholesome or unsafe con
ditions of employment, crowded and
insanitary housing and inadequate
transit facilities."
| PADDY
| A Simple Philosopher.
By LIEUT. J. B. MOUTON.
FRANCE. June 20.
PADDY was the best known man In
the battalion. As soon aB you
saw him you knew that he was
something more than a type. He was
unique, and there was individuality in
everything he did or said, from his
bandy-legged manner of walking to
his quaint way of expressing himself.
He was short and thickset, with
green eyes that blinked out from un
der heavy black eyebrows. His legs
were bandy from a life In the saddle,
and his talk was a mixture of soldier
slang. Australian phrases and British
oaths, all delivered in a broad Irish
brogue For Paddy had been a great
traveler and ha4.?pent part of hia life
in Queensland, now as a boundary
rider, now as a rancher or a sheep-,
shearer. The rough life had left a
tan on his face and a frankness In his
conversation.
Nothing ever disturbed his good hu-.
mor. In billets he was always the
center of a little crowd. Men would
ask him questions about his wander-'.
ings simply to draw him out, for he
had an inexhaustible fund of stories
and reminiscences. Rut it was hard
to make him talk In the daytime. He
went about his work singing in his
cracked, tuneless voice In rain or
sun. All days were alike to him, and'
so long as he got a certain amount of
food and a few minutes' sleep now ami,
then he was happy. He could sleep in
any corner and any position without
ever seeming to bo uncomfortable,
and he nearly always managed to
make himself a cup of tea when-he
wanted It. There was something al
most magical In the way he kindled
a Aire In the most unllkoly places.
In the evening he became different.
Even his face seemed to grow older
and more serious. He would sit round
the estamlnet fire or the brazier and
fell stories, either experiences of hi?
own or weird little things he remem
bered hearing among his own folk as
a boy. There were many old songs he
used to sing in a monotonous droning
voice, too, some picked up In Aus
tralia. some In Spain, some in South
America, but the brogue flavored
every dialect.
In the trenches Paddy was Inval
uable. He could never accept a pessi
mistic side to any question. He con
sidered that so long as the trencn
wasn't literally blown away, the occu
pants. were lucky, and ho lived up to
his ideas. The shelling was never ac
curate enough or heavy enough to stop
him singing, or curling himself up to
sleep. Once 1 saw him burled. They
dug him out and he was badly shaken,
but he glanced round and remarked
that they had' "wasted a molghty big
shell to disturb such a small piece of
thrench." It Is unusual to And a man
over forty years old as calm as that
after a bad shaking.
With all his rough exterior Paddy
had a heart of gold. I've seen him
give up his food to a youngster In
particularly bad times without a word.
I've seen him give up his precious
mug of tea to a wounded man or a
He was a man of simple likes and
dislikes, but he rose above tho ordi
nary recognised new army types, good
as they are. by reason of his person
ality, In which there was the real
touch of magic. None-of us who knew
him has ever forgotten him in tne
smallest degree, and he left a tradi
tion with us. His phrases are still
used, and we try to remember his
ridiculous songs. Sometimes, when'
thing* are very bad In the front line,
some association brings back one of
his sayings and it will turn the serious
ness Into something almost laughable.
Pig-Headed.
EX-AMBASSADOR GERARD WM
discussing Germany. . .
"When a German," he said, "gets to
talking about German supremacy,
there's no reasoning yvlth him.. He's
as unreasonable ' and ?' pig-headed as1
the drug clerk. 4 ';') t , v * "f
"A customer asked this drug clprk
o'ne hdt Tnorning for a plain seltzer.
" *Vat flavor'?* said the clerk. 'Van- ?
ilia, jogolate or vat?' ?? ? ?< '
" "NO flavor,' said the customer. 'A
plalii 6ne, without flavor. Don't you?
understand?'
"'Yah, I unrterstandt,* said the drug
clerk. 'But vat flavor you want him
mlto\it? mltout Vanilla or mltout
Jogolate?"" '
I
Junker Patriotism.
?HE German junker idea of pa
triotism, " said a government of
ficial, apropos of the appalling German
losses, "is clear and unmistakable."
He smiled and added:
"A Junker patriot is a man who gives
your life for his country."