The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-31
AUSTRIAN WOMEN
TO JOIN INDUSTRIES
The Purpose Is To Liberate for Military
Service All Men Whose Places Can
Be Filled By Women.

DC rhieu by women.
Vienna, Jan. 3l.--Under the joint aus
pices of the Austro- Hungarian ministr,
of war and the Austrian women's orgah
) ization, the women of Austria are about
to be industrially modified" The un
dertaking Is the result firstly of the
work Austrian women have done since
the war, and secondly OF number oil
conferences Austrian feminist leaders
and elubwomen have had with the min.
lister of war and his aides. II is pro.
posed to enlarge as far as possible the
industrial and commercial fields in which
women are now active and to add new
branches in which they may become SO,
the purpose OF the movement being to
liberate for military service all men
whose places can be filed by women and
to give more of them an opportunity to
increase their incomes.
The attitude of the Austrian govern
ment in the matter was explained in a
statement given to the press: "rhe front
is at present the domain of every able
bodied man." says the announcement,
"whle the woman working for the army
is the soldier at home" 1t is then point
ed out that every woman who works in
a productive capacity assists the army,
firstly. by releasing some man to do mil
itary duty, secondly, by keeping the eco
monte machinery of the country in mo-
ton without which the men at the front
would fare badly.
Thousands of Austrian women are al
ready doing work, which men formerly
did. Indeed, in the branches in which
they are employed are many which for
merly admitted no women. The street
ear conductresses have been success
from the start, as have also the female
postal employees, including the women
drivers and chauffcurs of mail vehicles.
On the railroads they have also been
very successful, especially as telegraph
operators, ticket agents and freight de-
partment officials. Most of the clerical
work of the various governments IS be-
ing done by women. Firms whose male !
employees were called to the colors have |
been obliged TO replace these by women.
In the ammunition factories thousands /
Of women are said to be doing excellent I
work. In plant visited some time ago |
by the Associated Press correspondent |
the female employees formed over go per /
cent of the entire staff, even the heavy |
lathes on which the large shells were be- Il
ing turned were manipulated by women.
A few Junos were handling huge ladies
with molten steel like kitchen spoon.
Women already work in mines, mills,
factories generally. wholesale and retail
houses, and this years generous crop
vas largely raised by them.
One of the special aims of the present
movement is to train women for execu-
i've work, so that the men engaged in
his may become available for duty as
Ulcers.
A feature Of the scheme is to provide
Ialf -day work for women whose family
les would make that welcome. In the
morning mothers win attend to their
ouseholds and children, and so be free
D work in the afternoon from five to
tx hours. To care for the children in
he absence of the mothers, special nur
cries and kindergartens viii be estab
'hed. Some of the women's organiza I
ions favor the plan that elderly women
AXE the children of their working
eighbors into their homes.
IHt iSl tuS IL
ow being worked out by representatives
the women's organizations and the
linistry Of war. The larger of the or
lnizations are The Federation of Aus
ian Women's Societies, Vienna Woman
Tage Farmers association. the Catholic
iomen's Organizations OF Lower Aus
ia, Austrian Woman Suffrage commit
e, State Organization of Austrian
Austrian General Wom
Is association, Social Democratic Wom- a
IS organization. Federation of Female, 81
aachers and Educators, Federation of
'orking Women, Federation of Female n
,stal Service Employees, High School Il
sacher's society. Federation of Social
ttlement Work, and the New Woman
lbs. Several dozen of smaller Aus
ian, and hundreds of local women's
lbs and societies are also assisting the n
oyement. n
So far the plan affects only Austria, Al
I it is expected that Hungarian WON b
viii soon join the movement. The Is
istrian ministry of war is merely CO.
Grating with the women, and ultimate
the directing and managing of the
dertaking will be given entirely into
E hands of women. The SOLDIERS be-
I'd the front" will have general
IF" of their own. =