The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-22

drawn vehicles. But owing to the objec- ion of the trade unions 1t was finally decided to withdraw women from serv- ice as drivers of motor vans and lorries.
 Tn an interesting conversation l had with the supervisor of the women g department of a great postoffice con tractors stables carts and employees, 1 was given to understand that the idea that prevailed among a certain number of workmen in England that women were trying to do them out of their jobs" was quite erroneous.
 NOT PERMANENT
 "Women are taking the place of men," she told me, wherever it is possible, but they do not regard their positions by any means as q perma- nency. In the case of the 50 and more women who are driving postoffice carts in London, for instance, they are doing 1t from purely patriotic motives, for those employed by this particular firm of contractors are all of superior education and position. Their work ing day is 12 hours and they put in 72 hours a week. For this they are paid f110 a week, or about $7.50, while their overtime remuneration is at the rate of I'd, or IA cents, an hour! It is necessary to employ girls of
 
 (quite apart from it's patriotic mo- tives) because they are better fitted to handle the horses and to act with quickness and decision in the many emergencies that arise"
 was told that attached to the great stables containing TOO horses belongs ing to these royal mail vans, there is hospital manned" and run en- tirely by women under the guidance of | a Skil1fl11 ofa Tho afC1< horses are groomed and cared for by uniformed women who wear ordinary brooches and knee-long coats of dark blue linen. The drivers or the mail carts wear very smart uniforms of dark blue serge. edged with red and having brass buttons with the royal cipher. Their dark blue-peaked caps have also a line of red and a badge showing that they are on his maj esty's service.
 TRAINING HORSES
 Women have been found immensely useful in breaking and training horses at remount depots. At Colonel Hall-Wal- ker's splendid stud farm in Kent, which he recently presented with all his string or horses and mares to the government, 1 tnere IS large proportion of women grooms employed. Girls of all classes are eligible for this employment, but one or the superintendentS of this huge in- dustry told me that they preferred girls of some education and refinement. They are better with the animals" he said, and more intelligent and direct in their treatment of them" The uniform worn by this very sporting feminine contin- gent is usually dark blue or tan color brooches of Bedford cord" with long brown boots, a knee-deep coat and soft, close cap or hat. It is a becoming and effective get-up, and, of course. the girl who wears it can make it.''
 a Working on the land" this spring I have seen women motor-plough drivers seated at the steering gear in coats and long brooches of leather and wearing close-ftting leather caps, strapped be- heath the chin, while women who clean the engines are new arrival in the rail- way world They wear long trousered overalls of dark blue or black linen that strap across the shoulders. Their caps cover the hair and are quite becoming. l saw a group of them recently polishing the brass parts of one of the big locomo- tives of the Great Eastern railway They seemed very happy, very dirty, and ex- ceedingly industrious.
 RAILWAY GIRL
 The railway girl is indeed a conspicu- ous object in London's subterranean lines of transit just now. Clad in her neat blue uniform she clips your tickets as you pass through the gates of the under ground or tube railways. and you hear her shrill voice rising over the tumult in the trains belonging to these systems exhorting passengers to "step along lively, please.' Move up to tho front of the car. Are you all a lot of paralytics? Can't you step along there, please?" And