The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07
WOMAN s WORK ON
F|RMER FOOTING
Gent|er Sex To Fill Larger
Place in Field of Industry,
One Result of War
(By the Associated Press.o


historian as the wholesale introduce
ton of woman labor into trades, oc
cupations and professions hitherto |
exclusively stated by men, declared |
Sir George Croydon Marks, member |
of Parliament for Northeast Cornwall |
in the first of a series of lectures on |
The New Woman.' He added:
"The question which is Of real i'm |
portance today, however, is whether
that future historian will regard the
phenomenon as coincident with war
conditions and terminating with them,
or whether it will mark the beginning
| Of social revolution and new stage
| in the industrial and commercial CO.
| operation of men and women.
| when the war is over shall we
| still see the milk-Woman, the girl
| ticket-collector, the girl commission
aire at their work. or will they auto
| matically disappear before the return
| ing tide Of the civilian armies?
I'VE may we'll ask ourselves at this
moment, for it is a question which
must inevitably arise and a problem
for which we cannot be too we'll pre-
pared. What is to happen at the con-
| cluSiOn of the war to those women of
| every social grade and every shade
of attainment who in the past year
| have slipped so readily into mans Oc-
| cupations?
I'm considering the question broadly
the analogy Of France may be taken
into consideration. The capacity, the
business ability, and the ready grasp
of affairs which the women Of France,
more than of any other nation, have
| shown themselves to possess has been
traced, perhaps fancifully, to the fire.
quent necessity with which they have
been forced to take upon themselves
the conduct Of those affairs during the
absence OF their men on military
duties.
+ "It is quite possible. indeed quite
! probable, that the introduction Of
! wholesale introduction Of womens
t labor which we are at present wit
! Messing may be to develop those
! | qualities of resourcefulness and Of
! ready efficiency which characterize
and have characterized French wo.
= men for many years.
"Considered more narrowly, the
problem which will present itself te
| the business man as soon as the wal
is over Is, simply stated, how far il
will be his duty to replace the patriotic
woman who is taking the place Of the
4. soldier fighting his countrys battles
by that soldier himself, when the tim;
to lay down his arms arrives.
I "At first sight 1T may seem n
problem at ALL Apart from actua
promises given there remains pledg
Of honor to reinstate the soldier in hi
II position as the wage-earner. No con
sideration OF economy, no considera
ton Of efficiency rapidly acquired b.
the woman worker can be allowed TO
an instant to interfere with this
Undoubtedly many employers vii
feel wrench in rejecting those wo
men who, for the past year or more
r have been doing their duties SO nimbl
I'd and effectively, in favor Of the soldie
20 whose new life will probably have un
fitted him to some extent for the OF
IS fee stolo. The effect may be in man
IN instances that employers will find
le way Of retaining the services permant
m ly OF those women in conjunction wit
the reinstated men.
20 In the past, the jealousy which ha
" been felt Of wOmen's employment
business has been founded entirely 0
the wages question. While men worl
ed for living wage. women worke
,d for pocket-money, and were able
accept it because they were able
be dependent primarily on the wag'
A. Garner. It is obvious that it is upo
this Question of wages that the who
A. problem must ultimately depend. TT
business man must realize that chea
.ly wQmans labor is at the best temp1
rary expedient In wartime from
national standpoint, and a temporal
expedient in peace time from a Pc
ed sonal standpoint,
" Without making any attempts
be prophecy it may be unreasonable
lite suggest that while considerable nun
aw bers of women temporarily employ.
&C. at present will be displaced by the T
lg- turn OF the armies, the effect Of Il
inc existing situation will be to establi
to woman's labor on a far firmer footil
in those Industries where they can
the retained without injury to their heal
ust and that the wastage Of human Ii
ear will be to large extent repaired
is these women who are now fifth
lies themselves for new occupations.
yls
the Drainage Men to Meet.
Especial to The News and Observer