The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
TWO MILLION MORE WOMEN ARE AT WORK NOW THAN YEAR AGO
Number Increasing Weekly. Upheaval in British Mili- tary Life Not Less Won
 derful Than in Industry


 London, March 15-(special Cores pondence of the Associated Press) Hardly less remarkable than the swift transformation of England into a DOW erful military nation has been the silent upheaval that has placed the civil work and the industries of the workshops in the hands of women. It has been estimated from official fig ures, that there were fully 2,O00, 900 more women in active employ on March l, 1916, than on the correspond ing day 12 months ago. Moreover, the number is increasing week by week
 Every class of women, including those previously regarded as Ieisured ana Well-to- do, are adding to the total The call is reaching the remotest ham, lets as well as the quiet market towns ana the women and girls are respond Ing The women are mobilizing in a great army, ready to serve wherever they are most needed-even to the hard labor of the tilling of the soil.
 Such changes in the national com mercial and industrial spheres are nat urally creating considerable readjust- ment Of social conditions with the re- suit that the Young Women's Chris tan association. Women's Unions suffragist organizations and scores Of Womens clubs are confronted with many new problems in helping to care TOT the thousands of women suddenly thrown into a new environment.
 The initial difficulty to be dealt With has been that of housing the workers in the munitions factories. All sorts of factories have been reoui sitioned in provincial towns up and down the country, calling for large drafts Of workers from outside Lodg- lngs have been hard to find, and. of course, following all law of supply and demand, have been costly even if they could be found at all Railway commu- nlcallon With places at any distance nave been unsatisfactory, especially for those on the night shifts. Only in the larger centers of population has the serVlce Of tram cars or omnibuses been or any help to those living at a dis tance.
 Thousands upon thousands of youne women and girls were suddenly shifted rom their familiar surroundings in tbe larger cities to the new life in the country where many of the huga am intuition factories have been erected ihs manufacture of high explosives IS not permitted in the vicinity or homes. Therefore. canteens had fo ha estapilshed close to such works SO that tne women would not have to go lone instances for their meals, and relieve ,neHl or much fatigue and strain
 Fefhaps the ideal conditions have been reached by one famous firm en- saSed Tn the manufacture of cordite A colony for the workers was erected III long series of wooden huts each containing some 2S two- -bedded rooms m the center of all is a dining hall "lth perfectly equipped kitchen. a recreation room. and small model hospital As soon as these plans had been approved, the firm had one of the Women's organizations take up the re- sponsibility for them in behalf of inc girls employed
 Pupllc imagination is more stirred at the ldea or women's labor in shell, fuse ana explosive making than it is over the vast army engaged in the more humdrum round of business routine But the fact is that the woman who is forced to work in the offices of inc government, municipalities, banks. fac tories and stores is much worse off than her sister in the munition works. She receives less pay and very little attention is paid to her welfare. But she IS sustaining the fabric of the state to no less extent.