The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-04-07
BRITISH WOMEN


snent supplies. win furnish the de-
snand for thousands OF extra work
iers.
BID most OF the worksrs must be
trsfned. A lamentably large number
OF expert engineers and mechanics
have gone TO the front-thetr employ
err taking no steps TO keep them to
their duty OF manufacturing ammuni-
tion because they hoped to replace
them with less skilled. cheaper labor,
running II In double shifts.
So there Is being a general rrans-
ference OF labor In England. Men
who have a slight knowledge Song
this line are being pushed forward
and women are stepping in 70 I'LL the
places OF the men thus promoted.
Women are taking up railway cleri-
cal work, carriage cleaning. grocery
clerktng. debt collecting. motor driv-
ing. banking, farm labor, etc
The central committee on women's
employment has done more to place
these women, to smooth things out
with the labor unions, to place COY
eminent contracts advantageously
to small firms, TO subcontract, to
guard the interests OF the WON en-, and
yet to do the best thing for the state,
than any other organization in Eng
land
Attitude Of Working Women.
At the head OF II. although IL is only
branch OF the large queens fund,
are many OF the best known leaders
OF the Labor party and the Socialist
party In England. / talked for some
time with Miss Mary Macarthur. Miss
Bondheld. and Miss Sanger, all rec
ognized leaders in the Labor party
and all heart and soul in this new or
ganization.
I was asking about the attitude OF
the working women toward the var,
III the city woman of the lowest indus
trial type was more Interested and in
telligent about II than the country
woman. whose intelligence about Il,
according to my observations, is alb
solutely lacking.
In the workrooms." said Miss
Bondfield. who has recently returned
from an inspection of all the striking
and near-striking districts. you very
seldom hear the war talked about.
The broad outlines they know, and
some few individual events as chroni-
cled on the posters.
This applies. of course. only TO the
lowest form of labor. where long
hours. small pay. poor surroundings,
have effectually succeeded in extin-
gushing all interest. all curiosity in
life.
Do Their Best In the Inevitable.
But II you want to see an interest
Ing side Of the working woman you
should go TO the Woman's Cooperative
Guild. IL is managed and run by work
ing women-not one of those societies
10 which a very superior person comes
as chairman and whose board OF di-
rectors can all be found in Burke's
Peerage.
From the first everyone Of these
women has been directly and openly
against war. But they said. AS long
as IL is here. and We don't believe in II.
we must be on the constructive side
and must do as much as we can to-
ward caring for life and seeing that
every present and future life be pro-
vided for for the sake Of the coun-
try
Consequently they have established
and run these maternity centers which
are found all over London. not only
that the mother may have all proper
medical care. but also that the ex-
pectant mother may have pleasant
surroundings. rest from work and wor-
~ during the last weeks. and a place
10 leave her child when she Is strong
enough to go 10 work again.
The movement has made such
splendid Roadway that It has come 10