The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-14
MILLION N MEMS JOBS|
British Women Fill Places of
Workers Called to the
Army's Ranks.

Associated Press.)-Almost a million
women--cxactly 9ss,5oo-have entered
all kinds Of positions held by
men before the war began, and
of this number nearly alex
actly $4,000 - were actually substi-
tuted for men called to the front or
diverted to other war activities.
This il shown in survey Of the
whole movement toward woman labor
since the outbreak of the war, made
officially by the labor department, with
data down to the last two months. 1t
shows 3,231,0O0 women now employed
in all branches of industry and COM
merce, or about a million more than
when the war began. 1t is this new
million of women workers one sees
at every turn, on the tramways and
motorbuses taking fares, in the gov
eminent offices taking the place of the
men clerks, in the hotels and restau-
rants as walters and cashiers, in banks
and business houses. and running cine
mas. theaters, public houses. and the
whole range Of business activities.
Just how far this has gone the gov
eminent has now figured out to a
nicely. In banking and finance, for
instance, there were only $500 women
employed before the war; now the
number has increased fourfold to 49,
500. In government departments, also.
the women workers have increased
from $4,000 to $4,000. displacing men
in all but 5000 cases. In Industrial
trades the increase of women has been
greatest. reaching $4,000, of which
314,00 replaced men. Another very
large increase of women is in the gov
eminent ammunition works, where
there were 1000 before the war and
$4,000 now. The government figures
give the entire $4,000 as directly re-
placing men.
In commercial occupations, clerks in
stores, offices, etc, the Increase or
women is 26S.OO0, of which 264,OOO re-
placed men. In professional occupa-
tons. connected with the law, medi-
cine, magazine and newspaper work,
etc, the increase of women is $4,000.
Of which all have replaced men. A
curious fact is that each woman has
replaced about two men in hotels,
public houses, cinemas, theaters, ETC.,
the increase of women being $1,000 and
the displacement of men 10000.
On buses, trans and various kinds
OF transport service the women have
increased 1900, the entire number re-
placing that number of men. Men
teachers are also largely replaced; also
men on municipal transport work. the
total increases Of women in this line
being $4,000, of which $1,000 replaced
men. In farm work many men have
been drawn off for the war, but few
women have replaced them The men
on farms replaced by women is given
at 10000. while the number of women
farm workers is $4,000. and the in
crease since the war only 500. Women
nurses have increased $4,000 since
the war
Summing up the substitutes of wom-
en- for men. the government statement
says there has been in increase of
10000 since last July in the number
of women directly replacing men. This
shows slight check in the rate of re-
placement. In some trades, like cloth
ing and textiles, women workers have
decreased, probably because they were
able to get better wages in the many
new fields now opening to them. In
october 40 per cent of the textile firms
reported they We're unable to get all
the women they required. so that
while the supply of women workers
has increased. the demand is also in
creasing in many branches.
This replacemnt of men by women is
new elements in economic
and social conditions which will have
to be worked out when peace comes,
The women are doing the mems work
quite as well as the men, so that a
new element of competition is intro
duced between the sexes. The wom-
en- have the advantage of possession
OF the million places, and 1t remains
to be seen whether they will hold
them. or whether there will be another
of women for men, when
the million men come back. Many
commercial houses have promised to
take back the men, but whether this
means displacing the women, or keep
ing both, Is still open. The labor UNI
ions are also apprehensive over the