The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-23
Topeka Women Do Not Nope
While Men Are Away.
Hundreds Fill Soldiers Places
at the Santa Fe.
WEAR FR|LLS and SMILE
They Also Demonstrate They
Can Do Desk Work.
Feminine Employees in G. D.
Number GIG Now.

Su ming the morale OF the SOL
diers :: France by words of cheer.
sweatcs candy boxes and cigarettes.
has been the work of many women or
this country since the war began. but
buying the coal for the home fires has
been the Job assigned to thousands of
other American Spartan" women.
Since the war began the increase
in the number of women employed in
the Santa Fee offices alone amounts to
more than 100 per cent. The payroll
that formerly carried some 800 fem
mime names on the "thin blue line"
now has GIG of them. The total num-
Der of persons employed at the Of
fees, including those in managerial
jobs, mechanical work, and some cler-
ical is 1,45O. Fully half of the cleri-
cal positions are now filled by women
and girls, and '-creditably filled. too
according to one of the office men
who is in a position to know.
Girls Are Ncatcr.
"In many of the POSITIONS" it was
said, the girls do neater, more pains
taking and accurate work than the
men who preceded them. The girls
who have passed the silly age are
particularly efficient"
Now a casual view of these Santa
Fe girls who have flocked to the aid
of Son-in-law McAdoo in the last year
or so, reveals none of the look of the
ideal noble Roman mother" There
is none of the set jaw appearance, no
flashing eyes and brow of thunder.
! On the contrary, these women who
helped to win the war present pleas
! ing array of youthful femininity.
There is an abundance of bright
! green and pink. sleeveless sweaters,
| there are short skirts, silk stockings,
| French heeled boots, Georgette waists
| and there are smiles and cheerfplness,
/ as these girls go about their unac-
| customed tasks, releasing the men for
| service, many of them furnishing the
cash for the families left behind.
| Many Arc Married.
A good many of the girls in the big
! office buildings are the wives of men
i who went to the fighting zone. The
/ C-1 picture of waiting woman with
I, tear dimmed eyes in a cherries home
is all out of date. Women wait as pa
| tiently as ever, but they do their
waiting behind a fat pay check and
a roller top desk, and over clean, tiled
! floors in a steam heated office. The
stains of tears have given way to the
stains of powder-much more becom-
! ing to any face, and lot more pleas
ant to look at. The hands of the
her warriors sash. are skilled in many
| ways. and they can gather in the cash
to maintain a shelter to which John
ME can come marching back.
And how do the men about the
place manage to keep their heads il
Such-er - attractive surroundings? 2
a Santa Fee man was asked.
1.-The girls are well looked after,
he explained. THE company keeps
matron on the job, who sees that thu
girls are made comfortable and af
forded any necessary protection. Tn,
government also provides an inspector
OF railway offices for the womeI
workers. The federal inspector wa
here only a few days ago checking vi
the conditions under which the girls il
our buildings are working. The stat
welfare board also has an eye OIL
them. Miss Bresette looks over th'
situation here pretty carefully from
time to time, so it is fairly certain
that the girls are sufficiently guarded
Get Mems Pay.
Women everywhere who work for
living may be thankful that the SAINT
Fe is paying it's women employees Vi
at the offices the same amount o
) money that the men got whose place
they took. I'VE have to have the bes
of help" one of the men at the offic
said. land we can't get it from eithe
for it. The exodus of men from tn
jobs hasn't shriveled up our payroll a
ALL"
The question of returning to thei
l positions the men who come HON
from the war, displacing the girls VIII
have filled them during the mems All
: Sence, is grave one with the rail
l roads. However, many of the girI
= VIII leave voluntarily when their so
l der husbands and sweethearts return
| Also, the opening of many new indus
tries and the high price paid for me
!. chanical work, will doubtless attrat
a great number of the men, VIII
| would be unwilling to go back to the
former office jobs. This. at leas
seems to be the opinion of busine.
: | men generally.
q Meanwhile, with no appearance
!, anxiety serene brows bend over man
= ftypewriters, manicured hands fond
the old filing cases, and modish boo
p patter up and down the long halls Q
a thousand errands