The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-09-25
WOman'S Day Has Come In
Industrial Districts.
BLOOMER GIRLS AT MACHINE
Exodus of Foreign Labor Prior to Unit
ed States Entrance Into War and tn.
Complete Prevention Of immigration
Are Among the Reasons-The Pay Is
Good and There Is Little Danger.

Der Tag has arrived for the wo.
man worker in the great Pittsburgh
industrial district. Natty shirt wasted
young women are welding pen and
pencil in clerical positions formerly
held by men. Bloomcr clad girls are
working ut bench and machine in steel
mills and foundrics, while women
wearing overalls are cleaning engines
and coaches TO keep the railroad sery-
ice in tptop shape
The exodus of foreign labor prior to
the entrance of the United States into
the war has caused an unprecedented
shortage If labor i1 this district, and
the drain on the supply of workers fol-
lowing the nations entry into the CON
llict has produced vcritable famine of
male labor The women who have
stepped into the breach are filling light
er forms of manual labor admirably,
according to employers. They learn
rapidly, are cautious in hasdling ma
chinery ana with short hours appear
able to stand up under the physical
strain.
At the McKccs Rocks plant of the
and women are employed in the French
car department. They are helping to
build artillery cars for use on the
French front. About half of these
girls are American and half foreigners.
All are buXom aSsies, full checked and
round of arm Most of them were ut
first employed as machine operators
helpers and later were promoted TO ma
chine operators and assemblers. They
run drill presses and small milling ma
chimes They work what is known in
labor parlancc as picccwork, but all
are guaranteed IL day rate. They earn
/ from $lI week upward, and their
hours of employment are from T1J
Il. III TO . D. IN.
One Piece Boomers.
The Pressed Steel Car women are
dressed in one piece boomers, skirts
being discarded as too dangerous
where the wheels of machines are con-
stantly whirring blue or brown in
color. Each wears dust cap drawn
over her hair, which is coied tightly
around the top of her head. \ few
. I
hair cut. The work is not heavy, and all
the girls say they enjoy it. The com
pany is pleased, and from six to eight
girls are being added every day. Many
more are needed TO take the place of
men who have enlisted or been drafted
into the national army, but the com
pany is particular whom it chooses
Z Ia nn1 wv
men of good character and strong ply
siuue are accepted. The company has
fitted up rest rooms, modernly equip
ped aud everything is being done to
make employment attractive to the
women employees. An apartment is
! being fitted up in the machine shop for
women. 1t is Planned to advance 300
places will be taken by women About
= fifty girls are being employed in the
: passenger car stOrcroOm.
The Homestead works of the Car
negie Steel company has nearly 100
girls and women in the various of.
fees of the works doing clerical work
and it is planned to introduce them
"
, months, it Is SAID, 1000 women will
be on the payroll of this plant. Other
:, steel plants are employing women for
: clerical tasks to take the place of men
and it is declared that within II few
months the women will be found al
, the work bench.
q Women on Railroad jobs.
). Women are doing varied jobs fol
C the railroads. The Pennsylvania and
: Baltimore and Ohio railroads have en-
$ gagged dozen or more female watch
) men to serve mt railroad crossings
Most of these work in eight hour Shift
n and get Is cents an hour. They pay
r strict attention TO duty, and no acci
4 dents have been recorded thus fa
$ where Il woman watcher was OF
guard
In railroad shops women wearin.
:. ovcralls may be seen every day polish
ing the brass fixtures on engines ant
, doing lighter mechanical labor.
The Pullman company is pressln!
, women into the service since the drail
Il on their men workers started with tn,
l. ADVENT u lllc uIdll' AZ lnc IHlIlI
=. third street yards of the PcnnSylva
IS MIA railroad thirty-three women seal
ladders formerly used by men Hean
n ing windows and outside woodwork ol
A. coaches,
II in ovcralls," said one I'VE can sc
" around as quick as men, If not quick
T. er, and the work in the open air |
- much more to our liking than insid
Il buildings, The change from insid
.e worl, to out in the open has made al
of us feel better"
The Farrell plant of the American
Sheet and Tin Plate company at Share
y is employing rougherS in the cold ro
Ia department. the first instance in tn
n United states. With the plant run
n ming mt normal capacity they will ear
X about 81 80 day, one woman +,
ic Gently took the place of her husband
who has tuberculosis,