The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-24
SOCIAL CONDITIONS
IN BRITISH ISLES
CHANGE WITH WAR
Public Imagination Stirred
by Women Accepting Haz->
ardous Trade.

London. March 24-Hardly less re-
markable than the swift transforms
ton of England into a powerful mil
itary nation has been the silent up
heaval that has placed the civil work
and the industries of the workshops
in the hands of women. 1t has been
estimated from official figures that
there were fully 100000 more wo-
men in active employ on March 1,
1916, than on the corresponding day
twelve months earlier. Moreover, the
number is increasing week by week.
Every class of women, fncluding
those previously regarded as leisur-
ed and Well-to-do, are adding to the
total The call is reaching the re-
hottest han1Aets as well as the quiet
market towns, and the women and
girls are responding. The women are
mobilizing in a great army, ready to
serve wherever they are most need
ed-even to the hard labor of the
til1ing of the soil.
Such changes in the national, com
mercia1 and Industrial spheres are ma
justment of social conditions with the
result that the Young Women's Chris
tan Association, Women's Unions,
suffragist organization and scores of
wOmen's clubs are confronted with
many new problems in helping to care
thrown into a new. environment.
The initial difficulty to be dealt
with has been that of housing the
workers in the munition factories.
All sorts of factories have been re-
QUESTIONED in the provincial towns up
and down the country, calling for
large drafts of workers from outside.
Lodgings have been hard to find, and,
of course, following all laws of sup
ply and demand, have been costly,
even if they could be found at all.
Railway communications with places
factory, especially for those on the
night shifts. Only in the larger CEN
tiers of population has the service of
tram cars or omnibuses been of any
help to those living at a distance.
Thousands upon thousands Of young
women and girls were suddenly shift
ed from their familiar surrounding
in the larger cities to the new life in
the country where many of the huge
munition factories have been erected.
The manufacture of high explosives
is not permitted in the vicinity of
homes. Therefore, canteens had to
be established close to such works so
that the women would not have to go
long distances for their meals, and
relieve of them of much fatigue and
strain.
Perhaps the ideal conditions have
been reached by one famous firm en-
gagged in the manufacture of cordits.
A colony for the workers was erected
in a long series Of wooden hutS each
containing some twenty-eight two
bedded rooms. In the center of all is
a dining hall with q, perfectly equip
ped kitchen, a recreation room, and a
small model hospital. AS soon as
tn csc plans had been approved the
firm had one of the women's organi-
cations take up the, responsibilities
for them in behalf of the girls en-
pIoyed.
Public Imagination is more stirred
at the idea of wofnen's labor in shell,
fuse and explosive making than it is
over the vast army engaged in the
more humdrum round of business rou-
tine. But the fact that the woman
who is forced to work in the offices
of the government, municipalities,
banks, factories and stores is much
W orse off than her sister in the NUM-
lions 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.