Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-24

81 should say said an official, that about
twenty thousand Of girls have already re-
turned to their homes. 1t is my opinion that
most of them were ready-even bit anxious
to return. The majority of them came
Just to help out anyway, and now that there
no further use for them. they welcome the
prospect of getting married, of finishing their
educations, of getting back their old jobs.
"In the first group released-they were
from the War Risk Board, believe-were
about a hundred who had made no plans, or
who were receptive to roster ones than they
had already formulated. The board furnish
ed the names and addresses of these girls to
the L. S. employment service, and am tolu
that places have been found for all OF them
in or near their home towns. The same pol
icy is being followed by the govern
ment in all cases Of discharged war worKers.
As soon as it becomes known which girls are
to be turned off and when, their names are
listed and given to the employment service
which gets in touch with its local managers
and notifies the discharges of whatever open
ings exist in their respective LOCALITIES.
must be remembered, though, that only
percentage of the girls accept the offers"
bill is now before congress which pro-
yides that the transportation home or I'll
women war workers be paid from the puDhc
funds At the present time they are expect
ed to furnish their own transportation. Some
cases have come to light where the workers,
the war. have been unable to save enough to
pay the railroad fare. One particular case
has been cited of a young woman VINO Game
from Oklahoma to take position WIN the
war trade board. She arrived about SIX DAYS
before the signing of the armistice. couple
of weeks later she was notified that her JOB
was one of those made unessential by the ad-
vent of peace. In this instance as IN many
similar ones, the transportation home OF the
Young woman was paid from the emergency
nrH
posal of such funds is in the hands OF the
various division chiefs. A pleasing precedent
has been set by Chairman Baruch Oh the war
industries board, who has volunteered 10 pay
from his own pocket the transportation Oh ali
war workers discharged from his division. In
this connection a strange irony developed In
the discovery that a goodly number OF MT
Baruch's fair assistants live west OF the
Rockies.
What is to be the future Of the discharged
war worker? 1t is pretty safe to argue
that Tin most cases) her future is allegorled
in the old nursery rhyme:
"Bobbie Shaftoe's gone to sea
He'll come back and marry me"
81 don't think it's an overestimate," said
the official previously quoted, ito say that
sixty per cent of these girls are engaged to
marry soldiers or sailors. Some OF them are
married already. 1t is worth while to re-
member that not only the young women war
workers, but the boys in service are return
ing home number of the workers have
been school teachers. With the existing
shortage of teachers throughout the country.
it is reasonable to suppose that most of these
will go back to class rooms. Some viii go
back to helping their mothers with. the
homework Stenographers who have been
taking letters from ordnance officers, VIII De
taking them from brokers.
Naturally it will be almost year before
all of the war workers are gone-some OF
them, perhaps, will never go. But the line
at union station. is facing the other way.
now; and Washington though it hasn't be-
haved as well toward her as it might nave
is genuinely sorry to see the war worker CO.