Evening star., 1917-11-20
NO VOHEADACHESF0R
GIRLS IN FACTORIES
At Least They Don't Complain
Of Them in London, Says
Correspondent.
NJ ALICE n. ARCHER.
f0Dee1al Correspondence Of The Even
ing Star and Chicago Daily NewsD


fe0eelal Correspondence Of The Even
ing Star and Chicago Daily Newso
LONDON. England. October 20
Three women-an American. Nor
waGfan and an Englishwoman-were
invited by the foreign Office recently
to visit Q shell factory. So we-the
three women in question-drove off one
flns afternoon in a war Office motor car
to-"somewhere near London The big
gates of the factory opened to let Us
pass, and we found ourselves in the
center Of wonderful transformation
process, in the course of which raw
steel-after undergoing something like
twenty evolutions-becomes converted
into a Tive" shell.
A smiling forew oman. with eyes as
blue as her linen cap and overall. came
forward to take US to the secretary
Office On the way there we tried 10
interrogate her-or one OF us-the
American-did.
Say. what do you really think of
woman workers in a munition factory
Are they half good as men? pom
they give much more trouble, and
aren't they always staying away from
work with colds and headaches
Indignant Denial.
The lady in blue looked indignant
no. indeed" she replied. The No;::cn
are just splendid and tremendously
keen; we have no trouble with them
at all" Here was a first-hand indorse-
ment of the statement made by the
Hon. z. S. Montague just about a year
ago, when he said that our armies
have been saved and victory assured
largely by the women In the munition
factories"
The forewoman then handed us on to
the secretary. who took US all over the
room he pointed out the blocks OF steel
that lay scattered about the yard or
piled up in heaps and that were sup
piled in great part by America. Our
visit to the forging rooms semed rather
like having a peep at the internal
regions From the bright. cold sun
shine of q brilliant October afternoon
one stepped into long stretch of
ing furnaces dotted here and there
about the big. black place. The tenn
perature was like that of an oven. Men.
young and stalwart. grimed with heat
and dirt, were tending the forges.
Red-hot cylinders slowly came up
out of the leaping flames, as they were
gradually hauled into the air: other
cylinders. looking ike huge crimson
floor by mammoth rakes. All the men
in this section were Of military age,
aAno man over fifty was strong enough
for such work or would be able to
0uQuIc luS neat, 50 our SOluc tClu U.s.
Taking Care Of the Help.
From the forging room we went to
the women's canteen. where we found
200 or more women In a large. light.
airy room sitting round small oilcloth-
covered tables, drinking tea and eat
ing substantial slices of bread and but
ter. bread and jam and currant cakes.
Twenty minutes Is allowed for tea
Breakfast precedes arrival at the fac
tory at am, but q short interval is
allowed for lunch at 8 o'clock. For
dinner there IL an hour. and the fol-
lowing IL q specimen menu: Cut from
(1e cents)-for men an additional 2
pence 10 charged; a portion of pudding.
jam roll. for example. pence a
cents): slice of bread / pence e
cents); q cup Of tea, cocoa or coffee.
pence. The food looked delicious and
the healthy. wel1-fed appearance Of the
workers was ample proof of the good
nourishment provided Toilet accom-
modation was on q par with the cater
ing. There was a nurse on duty in
the restroom. but no patients were
visible.
In the copper banding section, where
copper bands are placed round the
shells. rows Of women in khaki over
alls were standing by their lathes.
turning them or amounting the ma
CuiuSS Win = SOTI OI phSlcllhc uulu "A
pleasant glow OF color came from the
red gold of the copper filings that fell
away from the lathes in long. curly
strands. and lay heaped up in glitter
ing masses on the floor.
Women test the shells for length and
diameter. For the length a special ap-
paratus Is used that can be expanded
or contracted to the desired dimen-
sion: the diameter Of each shell is
gauged by means Of two steel rings,
through one Of which the perfect shell
must slip. and stick fast in the other.
Good Wages for Women.
In the projectiIe factory most Of the
women are paid by piecework. the
average wage being 1910 ($1750) a
week There IL also bonus arrange
ment in force. An Industrious worker
who exceeds the regulation output for
an hours work Is paid SO per cent Of
ths excess amount she earns, the other
80 per cent going to the firm. AS most
of the employees live within walking
distance Of the factory, and their food
is provided for them at less than cost
prfce, It will be seen hoow comfort
ably OF these women are.
There are two shifts for the stah-a
day shift and Q night shift-each aver
aging about eleven hours, including
forewoman. or forewomen, there are
ten supervisors-one Of whom was an
actress In pre-war days-to watch over
the welfare of the women and advise
them In any difficulties that may arise
from time to time.
Another point on the credit eide of
munition factories Is that in populous
districts they are helping to solve the
slum problem by eliminating the slums,
for as fast as factories spring up and
sxfend slums como down.
How War Shells Are Made.
Before our interesting visit came to
close, We again were taken to the sec
rstarys ONCE. Here we were allowed to
inspect, In sections. a star shell-ai-
most a. complicated q missile as the
81 specimen, the largest-sized shell
made in this particular establishment
Fourteen components go to make up
Q star shell, including the parachute.
all Of which are stuffed somehow and
this really II Q miracle-inside the shell
case. The parachute Is made Of fire.
proof linen. strongly ribbed together
with numerous wire strands, each set
of strands being firmly knotted where
hAI