Evening star., 1918-07-07
I o safeguard the health and IN
dustrial conditions surround.
ing the thousands Of woman

Sans "d0llar-a-year men VINO Is
serving as the head Of the industrial
service section Of the ordnance de-
partment. This Industrial service Sec
tion, which was created in January
1918. has already established -FOUR
main divisions and, under Dean
Schneider, is fast working out con-
structive policies with reference 70
employment and other conditions per-
tanning to munition workers. In TINS
organisation wherever practicable the
English pattern has nns bean fotto"eo otn
-
The lrst Of the four divisions al
ready established is the employment
management division. which Will aa-
yise regarding the estabitshment OF
employment departments In Indus
trial plants, and. with the co-opera-
tion Of the universities, develop
trained group OF available men Anu
women for positions ~, employment
The second division Of the section
IN fhe adjustment division, for media.
tion in difmculties which have caused
strikes or seem likely to cause tnem:
The third division, on supply aha
lem Of housing and transportation In
The fourth IL the woman's division.
Misc Mary Van Kleeck. CHIEF OF TINS
division. is an A. B: OF Vassar COT
zine writer ON labor problems. she
was for . number Of yesrs With the
Russell Sage Foundation. and her
lectures on Industrial conditions Tor
men and women at tho New York
school Of Philanthropy were largely
This once is the picture Of the most
austere warlike simplicity. There are as,
neither rugs nor comfortable cna1rS
to invite the visitor to engage IN q
dispatch and the prompt conduct OF
business. A solitary pansy on the
desk was the only touch Of color.
Miss Van Kleeck spoke Of the n,u. tnou.
sands Of women In the United asenns states tinns
formerly considered suitable to men
and how the war made all the Work
Of women new-how 1t had created
new conditions, imposed new burdens
She said. in speaking Of these new Nv
new opportunities, and 1t has also
multiplied problems OF adjustment IN
tions. The relation of women to In
dustry or Of women to men in their
trades Is no longer the same. Back
of all the changing conditions anect-
damental fact of a new public con-
sciousness that labor is the nations
fundamental asset in time Of war.
y +.
The number Of primers inspected
by a woman in a cartridge shop. her
skill in inspection and the conditions
which make her q vigorous, cheerful
worker or discontented employe
with a just grievance have become
details of national Importance. The
housing in her town. her standard OF
of the numerous other workers whose
products are part of her standard OF
living are all factors influencing the
output Of cartridges needed for the
Army in France.
"The establishment of q woman's
division in the industrial service sec
tion Of the ordnance department Is a
practical expression of the govern
ents,. mens direct r. interest nisnt, IN nan
ordnance department is charged with
the responsibility Of providing muni--.
tions Of all kinds for the Army and
many supplies needed need by soldiers adt In In
tridges, but helmets. harness and g
long list of other equipment as we'll"
Miss Van Keeck spoke of the ex-
pediency of the ordnance department
in establishing an industrial service
section to deal with labor conditions.
as logical, practical and -far-sighted,
owing to the fact that shortage Of
labor, strikes and all conditions which
prevent efficiency and dispatch are Of
Importance in the production pro-
gram.
The government, through the ord
nance department, manufactures in
its own ,arsenals. and 1t places con-
tracts with privately owned plants.
The many kinds of munitions are In
stages OF manufacture. Miss Van
KLA.S @iHea attention to general
orders. No. Ia, issued by. the chief OF
ordnance last November, containing
suggestions to arsenal commanders
and manufacturers Of ordnance.
The orders deal with hours of labor,
standards in sworkrooms, wages, ne
gotiations between employers and
employees and the employment Of
women and minors. For women, 1t Is
declared. that "existing legal stand
ards should be rigidly maintained, and
even where the law permits a nine or
ten hour day, effort should be made
to restrict the work of women to
eight hours to enable them to bear the
increased burden brought by new
tasks and by greater speed in their
accustomed occupations"
a. = 20. ..
X
Miss Van Kleeck, in explaining the
work Of the women's division. said:
The woman's division is q separate
branch of the Industrial service Sec
ton of the. ordnance department, be-