The evening world., 1917-07-06

TnlS week seven !
:r-zarxs.-g.rsx.--rr- women were put
to work In the
purchasing department of the New
York Central TO assist in buying sup |
plies. At Collinwood, near Cleveland,
o., a gang Of thirty women under the
direction OF a woman bookkeeper OF
the Central are busy sorting 5000 tons
OF scrap, nuts, steel plates, spikes.
bolts, brake shoes-practically every
part Of a superannuated engine or a
broken down car. These women ex-
amino and sort every piece OF scrap.
They do the work as well as men and
appear TO like It.
'~The first rule we have laid down
about the increased employment OF
women, mnde necessary by the war;
Is this: The woman who does the
same work as a man will get the same
pay as a man." said Mr.. Hardin TO me
Yesterday afternoon. Those women
who are sorting scrap get an average
of $3.50 "A day-just what a man would
receive for similar work. We have
Increased greatly the number OF
women employed in our auditing de-
partment. We have women In our
car department to keep track OF the
movements OF 100000 cars. They Keep
n record where each car goes and
what II does every day. We have put
women to work In our purchasing de-
partments. We are training women
to sell tickets, to act as watchmen
at railroad crossings. In our shops
women are learning 10 run lathes'
drills and other small tools. and we
expect to employ women as assistants
in stations"
11L oW many men does the New
i i York Central employ and
how many OF those men are liable to
be drafted7" asked Mr.. Hardin.
Il should say we have about $4,000
} employees" replied the Vice Presi-
dent Of the New York Central but
many of them, through the nature OF
their work, are exempt from the
, draft, SO 1t would be impossible to
answer your second question. But
many railroad men have volunteered
Two hundred of our finest mechanics
have volunteered in engineering
regiments which will work on the
railways of France. Other railroads
, have given their best men. In the
l countries of Europe women nave
= proved their capacity to do the work
= OF men, and American women are
l demonstrating equal efficiency IN
in every field they have entered.
v sir Robert Borden, Premier Of
I Canada, was Anti Suffrage and OPP
Y posed generally to the work OF WON
4 en- in fields pre- empted by men until
, the war sent men to the front and
put the women at work in theii
A., places. To- day Canada Is in bet
!, ter position financially than at the
= outbreak OF the war And in a speech
= recently Sir Robert Borden sale
i. Canada owes her salvation to 81
, women"
- ais there any work done on rail
roads which a woman canno
= do?" asked.
None. except the heaviest manua
e labor requiring great physica
a strength" Mr.. Hardin answered
3 Women could not lay railway ties
}, They should not be called upon 4
% do work which would overtax thei
~ strength. We are not used to tn,
- idea OF the performance OF manua
= labor by women in this country" Mr.
Hardin continued. 1--WE don't like 4
y see women do hard work. But ther,
= Is nothing about railroad work re
quiring skill or accuracy whicl
women cannot do. We have had on,
woman watcher at railroad cross
, ing up the State for the last tel
years.
"Our present work is centred large
1Nr IN a nj - lnt
of women for employment by tn
railroads. We cannot tell how lonl
the war Will last nor how many meT
we may lose by tho draft. We wan
to be ready. The women we ar,
training now are In many Instance
relatives OF our employees. The!
have taken up railroad work eagerl,
tion to the Industrial welfare Of tn
country will be of tremendous bench
to women" Mr. Hardin added. Man,
women have extraordinary eneTgl
and power for constructive work
which has never been put 10 prac
teal use. The war gives them NJ
opportunity TO serve their countr
and themselves"
TT HE letter which Mr.. Hardin sen
4 to all the foremen and super
lntendents calling upon them to mo
bilize women for railroad work fol
lows:
To All Managing oficers; II is
the wish OF President Smith that
you issue instructions TO all of
your employing mediums, suoh
as superintendents, tratnmasters,
station agents, division engi-
neers, and accounting, trafflc,
mechanical and engineering de-
partments, throughout, 10 begin
the employment and training OF
- women for the various branches
q OF the service which they can