Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-25
WOMEN WIN POINT
. WORKING FOR PLACE
BY BURTON X. STANDISH
written for the United. Press)

written for the United. Press)
Washington, Feb. 25.-The feminin;
sex has just won notable victory
here. President Wilson and the house
have turned woman suffrage down.
but the interstate commerce commits
sion has Just determined to employ
women clerks.
The commission has been mere mans
last stronghold. For years it has beer
the one branch of the government SER
vice where only men were employed
Even if female Stenographer passed
100 per cent in the civil service exam
nations, she couldn't get on the rolls
at the big building on F street where
the commission holds forth.
The old prejudice against women as
workers held full sway. The officia'
excuse against their employment was
that it was necessary at all times to
maintain a force available for field
service" and women could not be eX-
pected to hold themselves in readiness
for transfer to any old place in the
country. The official reason for the
change in policy was that the commits
sion had now grown to such an extent
that a permanent Office force could be
maintained there, and women would be
available.
But back of the decision to employ
women as clerks lies an interesting
story. 1t is that Uncle Sam can't find
competent male stenographers and
clerks. There are dozen women who
take the civil service examinations to
every man. Government jobs may have
a luscious sound to the average man,
but most of them are becoming wise
to the fact that while the jobs may b.
"easy," the opportunities for promotion
to class A jobs are not easy.
Also there is a suspicion growing
among clerks who entered the service
to find soft snap" that maybe their
jobs are not as soft as they anticipated.
Of course the hours are easy and the
work nothing like as heavy as in pri-
vate employ-but efficiency ratings are
now in force in nearly every depart
ment, and the clerks must stick tight
to their jobs.
Women play an important part in
the governments work There are thou
sands employed in the treasury depart
ment alone. Women are far and
above men in such work as counting
bank notes, assisting plate printers
and examining engraved notes for pos
sible defects. Their natural intuition is
superior to that of men and they are
peculiarly fitted for such work. There
are perhaps fewer women in the war
and navy department than anywhere
else, but in the interior, agriculture,
postoffice, commerce, labor, justice and
state departments they come near
equaling the number of men.
A woman now heads an important
government bureau-Miss Julia Lath-
rop, chief of the children's bureau
Another is on the industrial relations
board-Mrs. Borden Hartman. The
treasury department has one woman
whose place could not be filled-spe-
cial examiner of money sent in for re-
demption. The department of agricul-
ture recognizes that despite chefs and
other male talent, woman still reigns
supreme in the kitchen by having Miss
Hannah Wessling on its rolls as official
bread maker and experimenter in
bakery. The same government branch
is now employing women to aid in the
farm extension work-to attend coun-
ty fairs and show farmers wives the
best way to put up preserves, pickles
and the like. Miss Nell Price is in
charge of this work. The department
of agriculture likewise numbers
among its employees DR.. Alberta Reed,
a woman authority on teas and in
ventor of the Reed test for tea adul-
teration, and Miss Alice Hinkel, one
of the worlds authorities on medici-
nal roots. Miss Hinkel has written
six books on the subject which have
been in such demand from pharma-
cists all over the world that they are
known as "Miss Hinkeps six best sell
lers." She has also been recognized by
foreign governments. And so it hap
pens that from a position of mere toll
erance and suspicion, the government
is gradually coming to recognize
women as employees with considerable
favor.
Legislation in the halls Of congress
may be serious trouble most of the
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