El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-09
u S. Hires 100, 900 Women
Miss Jennie Douglas, First Woman
Employed by the Government,
Trimmed Treasury Notes.
BY Frederic }. HaskiR-

wv ASHINGTON, D. c, April g.
VA Nearly 100000 women are in
the services of the United
States government, some of whom fill
( difficult offices which call for especial
attachments. About $1,000 are serv-
ing under civil service appointments
| following a competitive examination.
Most of the others are pOStmasters.
I chiefly in small towns throughout the
/ country. Most Of the pOstOffice post
! tons filled by women are of the
( fourth class, which pays an income OF
less than $1,000 annually. Some of them
are in isolated locations which render
their management both irksome anu
Few Breaches OF Trust.
] Despite the insinuatOn OF the pro-
! fessiOnal humOrist regarding the meG-
| dlesOme faculties Of the village post
are recorded against her and many in
stances of bravery and loyalty are in
her favor Until recently no exami-
Z nation has been required for fourth
! class postOffices, but an order issued
last year by president Taft required
that offices paying between $1,000 and
$500 must be in charge of someone who
I has passed an examination for that
purpose, while for those offices pay
ing less than $500 an endorsement OF
| qualification must be secured from a
! postal inspector This order will be
/ modified by the Wilson administra-
( ton so as to require an examination
/ to ascertain the efficiency Of every
! postmaster
Commerce Board Bars Women.
| It is true that there is growing
! feeling in several OF the government
I departments against the employment OF
( women, and within the last two years
| the percentage OF appointments of wom-
! en-. except for special classes Of
work, has been lowered The Inter
state commerce commission, Tor in
! stance, includes no women IN Its starr.
/ While many of the chiefs OF bureaus
! speak enthusiastically of the efficiency
and faithfulnesS Of the women who
work under them. others claim that
women are more apt to be unwilling
] to work overtime than men ana are
less willing to make their own plans
subseryient to the good Of the work
Z This statement undoubtedly applies
most to the women IN the lower sal
aried positions.
Literary Talents Help.
The women OF special attachments
VINO are upon the government payroll
include literary and scientific women
of numerous calIngs- a large amount
of the editorial work connected with
the publication OF government reports
is done by women Miss Ethel Smith,
Of the bureau Of fisheries. while act
ing as secretary. to the commissioner.
is recognized for her scientific know
ledge upon general piScatOrial matters
ana also for an unusual amount OF
literary talent which helps her to place
this knowledge IN a form which the
public can appreciate Several OF the
special census reports. especially those
referring to women and children and
domestic conditions had descriptive
matter written by women writers en-
plOyed for that purpose
Active in Research Work.
The departments Of commerce and +
labor rely greatly upon the women /
economists in their employ TO make .
research upon industrial conditions. .
One OF the best known of these is Miss +
Marie J. Obenhauer who. as special T,
agent has published reports upon {
Wage-earning women in stores and fac
tories which are Of great sociological I
value because OF the detalleq lntorInsl- !
uOn they give regarding all the con- &
ditiOns of these classes Of women I
workers Their wages. their living con- ]
ditiOns, social environment and posi- /
biliues are all depicted in so vivid a I
manner as TO have great influence IL /
determining the needs TO be relieved /
Miss Obenhauer also has published }
reports upon the conditions governing
child labor in several states and a (
number of specified industries She [
has several assistants, all bright /
young college women who have had /
special training in economies at well /
known colleges to qualify them for
Teachers in Indian school.
A number Of women teachers are en-
ployed under the United States govern
ment in the indian schools here, in
Porto Rico, in the canal zone. in the
Philippines and in Alaska Each Of
these required some specific quality
ards OF pedagogical ability which
would be required in the regular pub 1
lie schools Of the different states 1t Z
IS commonly accepted that the Amer
lean public school must follow the flag (
and wherever the public school be- I
comes established the need OF the !
recognized.
Frequently women are called upon
TO render some special service to the /
government When the dlSSatiS1 action
Of the employees of the Panama canal I
zone threatened the completion OF the /
canal president Taft appointed Miss
q -71L- %. all IN Il
better social relations Miss /
BoSWelIS chief effort was the estab-
lishment Of federation Of WOmen's ]
CLUBS, but her efforts were successful Z
IN QuellinE the discomfort and creating /
q better social atmosphere. Now Miss
j. MacAlin Beatie is retained upon the (
canal zone payroll to still further en-
courage the social life uDon the zone I
as this helps to make the Americans !
more cOntented during their exile from
Valuable work Among Indians.
omen work In the indian service !
has been OF especial value. No man |
mad greater influence in eSta 5lIshin= I
peaceful relations than did Miss Is /
-elle Reel. who for number Of years (
vent freely among them. often sleep /
ng at night IN their WigWamS- Now !
some of the educated indian women I
ire employed by the American govern /
nent to aid in promoting better cOndf- |
ions among the indians.
Miss Angel De Cora, a young indian I
girl who displayed great artistic tai I
-llL anu SLuuiGu al lJTeAel institute IN 3
Philadelphia, in addition to being a |
'upll of the late Howard Pyle, is now
eachlng the indian women of Arizona /
md New Mexico to improve their pot (
cry without detracting from its ma
I've characteristics In the indian de-
in Washington the daughter
4 an indian chief is an adjuster Of
latms and thereby has a great influ-
nee in securing justice for her own
'eople from the government, whose I
Yards they now are.
First Employed During War.
The employment Of women BY the
government began at the time Of the /
ivil war and was brought about BY /
wO conditions. One was that the en-
istment of so many men as soldiers
eft vacancies in the clerical forces
Which women were capable Of filling: |
he other was that the loss Of the |
Import Of the men who were killed / /
T wounded in battle rendered it neces-
airy for hundreds of women promptly /
o seek some means Of providing for !
themselves and the families dependent !
pom them.
The government for which these men |
ad sacrificed their lives, naturally | /
cit responsible for the care Of their [ |
antilles and was anxious to give en-
loyment to the women. These wom- |
n who in most cases had had little !
T no business training were placed !