Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-09
ASSOCIATED Press Corespondenre).

ASSOCIATED PresS Correspondence.
London, June 24..-The British ministry
has promised the National Unicn of
Railwaymen that a, the end of hostl'-
ties the railw lv-1 n serving with the
armed forces will obtain Jobs equal to
those they gave up. At the Same lime.
T. H. Thomas, NJ. p, secretary Of the
union, says he is extremely uneasy over
the problem of women railway workers.
, I'm a speech at meeting; Of the men in
Nottingham, he said:
- IT am profoundly convinced that you
have to face the fact that female labor
has come to stay. Therefore we have
got to make up our minds uEon one or
two things. First, what grades would it
be dangerous for female labor to be en-
gagged in; second, whatever grades they
work in, they must not be used as
means for reducing the prices that we
7 have secured for particular grades by
years Of agitation. What we have to
say is that no woman's labor is to be
made the means of reducing the status
of any grade in the railway service.
e According to the speaker, there are
certain classes of railway work which
women are unable to perform. and
women are not proving satisfactory in
all the positions that have been opened
for them.
In short there were two courses open
to the unions-either to refuse to allow
the experiment of women workers alto
rether, as has been done in some places
by the street car men, or to devote the
Unions energies to insisting upon the
eV,o; int Of tho Sfanda rd of
Most of the speakers favored the latter
procedure. urging that while the trade
unionist cannot, without stultifying his
own principles. protest against female Ia
Dor. he has every right to protect against
female labor which is merely cheap Ia
Dor under an alias, and it is in the in
terest of the country that he should so
protest"
The only government department which
has made any wholesale effort to avail
itself of the large amount Of female Ia
Dor at its disposal to take the place of
men in military service. is the postoffice.
This department now has 5000 new wom-
en- employees in the various branches Of
its work throughout the country.
OF the 10000 men employed by the
postoffice before the war, $1,000 have
Joined the army. In the rural districts
women have been employed in a limited
way as letter carriers for some years
past; they have now been introduced in
to some Of the small towns and cities.
Other places which are being opened to
women are those of the mail sorters and
messengers. Girl telegraph messengers,
mounted on bicycles. are gradually TAX
ing the places Of the boy messengers,
and a great deal Of the postonce's tele-
graph work is being done by young
women. Women clerks and accountants
have been introduced for the first time
into the London General postoffice.
{ On the authority of a high postal off,
cial. It is stated that the reports from
tall quarters are to the effect that the
work Of the women who have been en-
gagged to replace men has been extremely
well done. '"They work quickly and ac-
.cuprately, and they are very conscien-
,tious," says one report.
Women letter carriers will be seen in
sthe suburban districts Of London within
N few weekas Candidates for these posts
~ Il.