Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-08-14
WOMEN IN FACTORY WORK.

War Brings Many Surprises And
Proves Fallacy of Theory That
Women Are Incapable of Mans
Work.
(By C. ]. Butler, President Detroit
Factory, United States Tire Com
pany.)
/ AS one Of the large manufacturing
companies of the country which has
employed women to do work former
" done by men, the Unite! States
Tire Company has carefully observed
The work of its women tire maker,
with view to ascertairinC their
efficiency and the special conditions
which must be provided if their
work is to bring a maximum Of re-
suits.
We have already learned that one
roint always to be kept n mlrd Is
.hat manufacturer canno- rush pro
tcction with female labor. The pro
cess of speeding up and constantly
urqine the female laborer to greater
efforts has been found to be entirely
wrong. Women will not stand beng
hurried and will become nervous ana
irritable. A foreman can ask a man
to speed up and keep after hln, aAo
the man will be none the worse FOR
his more strenuous efforts, as he Will
take things cody, but women quickly
give way under such conditions to Il
display of nerves.
In our employment OF women, the
state laws regulating hours and fac
tory conditions are rigidly observed,
and in addition to this, careful at
tcntion is given to the safety and
comfort of the women. The health
of the women is not affected b. the
nature of the work they do, as there
are no chemicals to contend with and
no women are put on work Wh!cn
requires excessive strain.
In building tires, these women do
no heavy lifting but there is con-
slant play of the muscles Of the body
and arms which, if not ovcrdone,
furnishes healthful exercise. The
only bad effects that we have OBJ
served among the female employee;
results from standing at work for too
long period. This excessive stand
ing occasionally causcs a woman 10
drop out because Of trouble with the
feet, legs or back But this trouble
is not confined entirely to women, as
nearly an equal number Of men quit
for the same cause. The work rooms
are light and airy and the greatest
pains are taken to keep them spotess-
~ clean.
When we first started to employ
women, it was source of surprise
and qualification to us to note the
business like, earnest and pa!nstak-
ing manner in which they attacked
the work. They seemed to be more
/, interested in learning than the new
male employees and appeared to
grasp the work moro rapidly. This
uuickness to learn has to manifest
itself and we find that women fac
tory workers, upon being placed on
any operation which requires manual
skill and dexerity, will grasp the
work more quickly than men and will
progress faster in the initial stage of
learning.
We have noted, however, that a.!
though the men are somewhat slower
in learning new operations, they
will at the end of six weeks or two
months have speeded up their work
to such an extent, that the individual
output of a man will surpass that Of
woman. On the average, the ulti
mate limit of womans capacity G2-
pears to be about seventy-fve ID
eighty per cent of Il mans capacity.
We pay the women tire makers
exactly the same piece rate as mon
are paid on the same operations, bGt
the hourly rate of the women when
they start is slightly less than that
of the man., When they have attain
ed proficiency, women in our factory
earn first-class wages.
Our experience shows that women
take as much interest in their work
as men, and that they work steadily
and are not inclined to change from
one position to another. To bring
about this condition. it is necessary,
of course, that the foreman be intel
ligent and make the employees fully
satisfied. If the foreman gives the
women proper instructions and takes
an interest in their work, the en-
ployees show quick responsive In