Iron County register., 1918-06-20

Tween tWo fhsu2 vln eassy ~
lsas NJ tsward pcooeleaey. And d
eodA and everything yoa Deasa ahes
electricity. vould - of ~ b 20
: eAooA aA eppoetnnity cone your VA
lates 10 learn wireless telegraphy-l
WORT which 10 peculiarly adapted I,
he sensitive woman.
The government has already 0pene(
the motor transport service to women
II this appeals % yosA begin to 1T your
self for Il now.
There are . great Many varieties oi
motor transport servis,e. but even 4
none Of the more dramatic opportuni
ties come 10 you. there Is an impor
tant service ahead Of women In driv.
Ing tractors.
II q woman has any gift for It at all.
mechanical craftsmanship II very
much worth while. Government CON
struction plants employ many drafts
men. and you would be surprised to
hnd how much Of this you can learn
from your local architect or from any
manufacturing plant near your town.
Long before technical schools were
established men learned all they
needed to know by apprenticeship. and
the plan ! propose to you is simply to
revert to the earlier. simple method.
Apprentice yourself to your chosen
trade in the person Of the most skilled
workman you know. II you do not
know how to choose. make q census Of
the skills Of your town. Find out the
most valuable skill and save that for
your country.
One Of the terrible things about war
Is the loss Of this accumulated skill.
Men spend years In school and years
more In practice. and then at their
most useful time are cut off. Make 1t
your business to capture and retain
some Of the things that men have
learned. Nobody will refuse to teach
you. A man owes his knowledge and
skill to his country as much as he
owes his life: all the more IL he loses
his life.
Can Learn at Home.
Women are the natural conservers of
civilization. 1t Is our duty to gather
up and hold fast every bit Of gain.
Women are only just learning what it
costs men to be proficient, and even IL
there Is no definite objective In view,
we could not go far wrong in attempt
ing to save something of the proficient
mans purchase. l have spoken Of these
particular occupations as being direct
ly connected with the government ma
chine, realizing something Of the hun
ger OF women to be identified with it
as men are. There Is sense in which
any work which releases a man for
the front is government service; but
have particularly wished to point out
how women may fit themselves for ma
tional service In their own homes.
There are other things than these, new
openings every week, things which can
be mastered on the farm or In the
smallest village. You do not, for ex-
ample, have to 60 out Of your own
town to learn how to be postal clerk.
There Is In every town a good Job
for somebody in keeping in touch with
the needs Of the government machine.
If you can do nothing else, be the CO.
herer; find out from your state officials
and from Washington all about the
qualifications, the dates and places Of
civil service examinations, the Jobs for
which no examination but merely
certificate of fitness is required. See
to 1t that your circulating library has
such books as are needed by students,
If your state has a travelling library,
know what helps 1t can give. There Is
no real reason why any American
should not be able to learn anything
he--or she--puts her mind to.
There is another branch Of patriotic
service which. though 1t has not been
departmentally opened to women here
as In England, is open through COM
munlties and committees to American
women. This Is the branch of the COM
missary. 1t includes all sorts Of knowl-
edge supposed to be native to the
genius Of women, Of food buying and
storing and cooking on a large scale.
The basis Of commissary work is a
natural aptitude for 1t and knowl-
edge Of food values. This you can
teach yourself at home, making lab
oratory Of your kitchen. The rest you
can learn through community activi.
ties In your town, community store.
houses. community Kitchens, com.
munlty canning clubs and buying clubs.
Demand Exceeds Supply.
The department of agriculture can
supply you with information on the
conduct Of all these enterprises. al.
ready the demand for instructors In
these branches exceeds the supply.
And II the war should surprise us by
the years 1t holds out, there Is nc
doubt many Of them will be made ,
part Of the government machine, Just
as they have been abroad. In that
NNe0 thu UNIV, m S,,Ex> >,,et1 - -.