Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-05
Says the War Has Helped
Women i'm Their Work

least Americanized~and most alien to
our institutions and ideals. These
| groups cannot be led from the outside.
| From within the fellowship of their
| daily life and labor must their saliva
| ton come.
| II want to quote the greatest single
paragraph that has been written upon
the meaning and purpose of the world
| war:
| I've are fighting for democracy in a
| larger sense than can be expressed in
! any political term. There are many
| forms of democratic government. and
We are not fighting for any particular
| form. But we are fighting for the es-
| sential part of it all. namely, that we
are all equally interested in our social
and political life. and all have right
| which we live; and that when men and
women are equally admitted to these
rights we have the best safeguard of
justice and peace that the world af-
fords.'
These great words. recently uttered
by President Wilson. contain In prin-
ciple the entire, program of the
Women's Trade Union League. We feel
il our duty to do our full part to help
him to translate them into deeds"
Mrs. Robins called attention to
report of the committee women's
work in war time adopted by the dele
gates to the sixth biennial convention
of the National Women's Trade Union
League, held in Kansas City in June.
This report mentioned the fact that for
the first time in the history of this
country trade union women represent
ing their respective trades have been
called by the government into active
service in order to meet intelligently
the difficulties and complications that
will arise in the industrial field as the
result of the entrance of the United
States into the war. Trade union
women are serving on committees ap-
pointed by the council of national de-
70
committees. thereby in an official ca
pacity representing the interests of the
woman workers and voicing for the
first time the needs of this group.
This committee on women's work in
war time recommended to the proper
government committees appointed by
the council of national defense on state
and city defense committees the fol-
lowing outline of standards to be es-
tablished for government contracts, and
the following recommendations to pro-
tect working women in the necessary
industrial adjustments that are now in
process of development:
!. Adult labor. 2. Referred to wages
the highest prevailing rate of wages
in the industry which the contract
affects; equal pay for equal work: those
trades where there is no wage
standard whatsoever to be placed in the
hands of an adjustment committee; that
all wages be adjusted from time to time
to meet the increased cost of living.
3. The eight-hour day. 4. One day rest
in seven. ). Prohibition of night work
for women. 6. Standards of sanitation
and fire protection Z. Protection
against overfatigue and industrial
house labor. 3. Exemption from the
industrial draft of women having small
children needing their care. 10. En-
emption from the industrial draft of
women two months before and after
childbirth.
One of the resolutions of the COM
mittee on women's work in war time re-
ferred to the maintenance of national
labor standards. and stated that it had
been conclusively proved that long
hours and the breakdown of legal
for the protection of work.
ing women and children meant a break
down in health and an increase in in
dustrial accidents. 1t also called atten-
ton to the fact that there is danger
that in the present excitement the pub
lie may lose sight of the importance of
maintaining the educational and labor
standards which have slowly grown up
in these states and which are an es-
sential bulwark of democracy. Eng
lands experience under like circum-
stances. on the one hand, had proved
that increasing the hours of labor
actually lessons the output. and. on the
other, that the Gripping of the schools
was accomplished by an increase of "a
small money saving made in this way
in two years was only enough to sup
port the armies for fifteen hours.
In consequence Of these facts the
National women's Trade Union League
protested emphatically against any
attempt to lever the educational stand
ard or to weaken the laws safeguard
ing the workers. especially women and
children, and resolved to do all in it's
power to maintain and help establish
one day rest in seven, the eight-hour
day and factory fire and sanitation
laws, as well as guard every other law
he Of
and children in industry. 1t also re-
solved to secure equal pay for equal
work where women are forced into the
positions left vacant by men.
According to the report to which Mrs.
Robins referred. the committee on
woman's work in war time of the Ma
tional Women's Trade Union League
expressed its confidence. in the Secre-
tary of Labor. who is in charge Of this
work and recommended that the or
ganfzation offer him its support and
cooperation in order to be of service
in helping to meet the difficult prob
lens in connection with the work
Mrs Robins called her interviewer's
particular attention to the plea made
by the organized French working wom-
Trade Union League of America to
take action to make possible interna-
tional industrial standards to be in
Guided in the peace treaties.
They have sent me volumes on this
question" said the president of the
league. They feel that if it comes
from American working women they
stand the best chance of accomplish
ing this purpose This plea was COW
cred in resolution taken up at the
leagues convention held in June.
Mrs. Robins interest in the American
women in industry began many years
leo. when. as a trained nurse in Brook
yn. her observations of the. conditions
under which women labored led her
to endeavor to procure more favora Bile
legislation upon the subject. She was
convinced that working women had
to have the aid of organization through
trade unions to give them personal re-
sponsibility.
To gain the fullest possible knowl-
edge of the real problems of women
industrial workers Mrs. Robins and
her husband went, twelve years ago.
to live on the top floor of a tenement
house In Chicago. In this section of
West Olive street where she resides
there are twenty-three nationalities
in a population Of 10000 people living
within mile